‘18 percent minorities’ voters not registered’

‘18 percent minorities’ voters not registered’

PESHAWAR: The names of about 18 percent eligible voters belonging to minorities are missing in the computerised electoral lists in NWFP, said All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) NWFP President Prince Javed on Thursday.
“Registration teams skipped minorities’ villages and the registration procedure was so complicated that most women from the minorities refused to appear in courts for the enlistment of their names,” Prince Javed told Daily Times.
He said the complicated procedure for new entry in the computerised voter lists by the Election Commission of Pakistan has forced women of NWFP and FATA out of the voters’ registration process, as they preferred to veil, ignoring the registration process in which magistrates had to confirm voters’ nationality.
“Most family members and women have refused to take new registration forms from the display centres after getting to know that they, along with two witnesses for confirmation of their identity and nationality, would have to appear before a judge,” he added. The APMA leader said he would challenge the minorities’ case at the Supreme Court to protect the minorities’ right of participating in the elections. He also demanded the government conduct the coming elections on the basis of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) registration lists in order to prevent any pre-election rigging efforts by the government. staff report