EC gives 24 hours to re-register with fingerprints

The Elections Commission (EC) has given a period of 24 hours for people who re-registered to vote without giving their fingerprints, to re-register again with fingerprints.

In a statement, the commission said that re-registration, for people wishing to vote from a location other than their registered permanent residences on 19 October, must be completed with fingerprints between 4:00 p.m. today (Friday) and 4:30 p.m. tomorrow.

Secretary General of the EC Asim Abdul Sattar said that people who registered with fingerprints yesterday and the day before do not have to register again; however, everyone who registered before that, without fingerprints, have to do it all over again.

Asim said that the decision to include fingerprints in the re-registration process follows the court order which requires the commission to follow certain guidelines.

In an order issued on Thursday night, signed by Chief Justice Ahmed Faiz Hussain, the Supreme Court ordered the EC to make fresh arrangements for re-registration, independent from the earlier re-registration lists compiled by the commission.

The court also annulled the two announcements made by the EC regarding re-registration for the election scheduled for 19 October.

The court said that these announcements violate the guidelines issued by the court regarding first round re-run.

In the statement issued today regarding re-registration, the EC said that the person who carries the form to the commission should submit an official identification document, as well as a copy of the identity card of the person wishing to register to vote.

The commission said that if the form is submitted through another person, the form should include fingerprints of the person wishing to register, witnesses, and the person who carries the form to the commission, next to the signatures of those persons.

The Supreme Court has ordered the EC to hold the first round of the presidential election before 20 October, and the second round before 3 November.