Elections 2018: 85,000 polling stations to be set up for 100 million registered voters, panel told

A parliamentary panel was told on Monday that around 85,000 polling stations across the country would be set up for over 100 million registered voters to cast their votes in the upcoming general elections 2018.
The Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, which met with Senator Sassui Palijo in the chair, was given a detailed briefing by senior officials of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) about the arrangements for conducting free and fair election in the country.
The committee was informed that there are more than 100 million registered voters across the country with 59.7 million in Punjab, 22 million in Sindh, 15.2 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 4.1 million in Balochistan and 2.2 million in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
The committee was further informed that a total of 85,000 polling stations would be set up across the country for the registered voters to cast their votes in the designated polling stations. The ECP official maintained that all measures have been taken in place to hold timely, free, fair and transparent general election in the country.
Various members of the committee raised apprehensions regarding alleged transfer of voters from their constituencies to others, issues in delimitations of various constituencies, use of standardized inks, training of staff, availability and security of ballot papers, use of technology to verify the voters and voting lists and other issues related to ensuring free, fair and transparent elections.
Further discussion on the related issues would also be held in the committee's next meeting.
Consideration of "The Members of Parliament (Salaries and Allowances), (Amendment) Bill, 2018" and briefing by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs regarding its role, functions and budgetary allocations were also deferred for the next meeting of the committee.
The meeting was attended among others by Senators including Sardar Azam Musakhel, Lieutenant General Abdul Qayyum (retd), Mirza Mohammad Afridi, Khanzada Khan, Taj Mohammad Afridi, Mir Mohammad Yousaf Badini, Sitara Ayaz, Faisal Javed, Samina Saeed, Kalsoom Parveen, Maula Bux Chandio, Keshoo Bai, secretary parliamentary affairs, additional secretary ECP and other senior officials.