Mohtarma Bhutto writes to Chief Election Commissioner

Islamabad, 16 June, 2007: Former Prime Minister and Chairperson Pakistan Peoples Party, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto has written the letter to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) about the electoral rolls. The letter was delivered today to the CEC by PPP delegation lead by Senator Sardar Lateef Khosa and included Nazir Dhoki, Ilyas Mohsin, Amer Fida Paracha, Palwasha Behram and Sheikh Mansoor.

Following is the text of the letter to the CEC:

"Dear Chief Election Commissioner,

There are persistent reports of the Electoral lists do not reflect the actual voters in the country.

"As the Constitution mandates you to hold a fair election, I am sure you will want to work with the Pakistan Peoples Party (the largest party in the country according to recent polls) and other stake holders to keep the matter out of controversy.

It is for this reason that I write to you asking you to first put the provisional electoral lists on the web page of the Electoral Commission Lists and second provide a nationwide electoral list to the Pakistan Peoples Party in electronic format. I understand the Indian Election Commission (which observers cite as a strong and independent body) provides electronic lists. This proves that such lists can be tamper free if provided electronically.

Moreover if the provisional and final voters list is on the EC website, voters will be able to scrutinize the list to see whether they have been enrolled and at which polling station they have been listed.

The Pakistan Peoples Party would like to run verification tests on the provisional electoral lists. Such mutual cooperation can only enhance the name of the ECP as well as the country. Therefore I look forward to receiving a positive response from your august office at the earliest noting that the lists are to be displayed by June 12 and time would be needed to verify these lists."