Election roadmap finalised, no worries over law and order, says EC

Commission plans to raise voter numbers per booth, but separate booths for youths remain undecided

The Election Commission has finalised a draft action plan for the upcoming parliamentary election and will publish the full roadmap this week, according to the commission’s Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed.

On Monday, Akhtar insisted there was no reason for concern over law and order at this stage.

“Our focus now is on streamlining election management. At this moment, I have no reasonable grounds to express worries about law and order,” he said.

The secretary said coordination papers were being prepared, covering responsibilities of field officers, designation of focal persons and circulars on procedures.

“We are trying to keep everything organised,” he said.

On demarcation disputes, he said over 1,500 objections were filed in 83 out of 300 constituencies. Hearings will begin on Aug 24 and continue for four days before finalisation.

This time, EC projects nearly 129 million voters. The last election saw over 120 million voters across more than 42,000 centres. The EC is planning not to increase centres but to adjust booth capacity.

“At present, one booth serves 500 men. If we increase it to 600, we can accommodate more without adding centres,” Akhtar said.

The government has shown interest in separate booths for young voters, but the EC has yet to decide.

“If authorities order it, we will comply. For now, we are focusing on centre and booth management,” he added.

On party registration, the secretary said 22 parties that passed preliminary screening have been sent for field verification of offices and committees, while those rejected are being informed with specific reasons.

Akhtar stressed that policies on polling centres are under review. “Nothing is absolute. Adjustments can be made as needed,” he said.