Snap polls not possible before Feb 2012

LAHORE - There seems a remote possibility of snap polls being held in the country, as demanded by the opposition parties, for the simple reason that new computerised electoral rolls will not be ready before February 2012 and the process may be delayed beyond for the government will not like to hold the elections before completion of its tenure. Since the new electoral rolls have to be verified by Nadra, the Election Commission has set a deadline of February 2012 to prepare new voters lists which are flawless and acceptable to all major political parties, Provincial Election Commissioner Akhtar Hussain Sabir told TheNation on Wednesday. Following MQMs decision to sit on opposition benches, the demand for early elections is gaining momentum with PML-N leading from the front along with PTI and JI which also want end of the present regime sooner than later. But, of late, questions have been raised about authenticity of the existing electoral rolls, especially after Nadra did not authenticate 37.2 million voters out of 82 million registered votes in the voter lists of 2007. This means that around half (45 per cent) of the total 82 million voters are dubious and new elections can not be held on the basis of existing rolls. As per sources in the Election Commission, Nadra examined 44.27 million genuine voters from 2007 electoral rolls, and added another 36.5 million voters from their CNIC database, thereby making the total number of CNIC holders in the country as 85.4 million. The provincial election commissioner further told this scribe that a door-to-door verification campaign will start from July 18 to ascertain the new entries made by Nadra into the voters list. The process will be completed in a month, he said, adding that new list will be sent to Nadra that will issue a final list. It is to be noted that a writ petition has also been filed in the Supreme Court of Pakistan about removal of all dubious votes from the electoral list.