Preliminary preparations have been started to hold general elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) anytime within 60 days after July 30 next year, in absolutely free, fair and transparent manner.
AJK Chief Election Commissioner Mr Justice Riaz Akhter Chaudhry stated this, while talking to APP here on Thursday. He said it has been decided in principle to hold the next elections to the AJK Legislative Assembly anytime within stipulated 60 days, commencing from July 30, 2006.
The CEC also revealed that the forthcoming AJK Legislative Assembly elections would be held on the basis of the existing electoral lists through making them updated for the purpose.
He said that the services of all the law-enforcement agencies, including Army, would be obtained in order to hold the elections in free, fair and transparent manner.
"There will be complete ban on taking out processions, displaying of all sorts of arms, including Kalashnikov, and any attempt of hooliganism or irregularities and rigging on the part of the candidates before and during the entire elections process," the CEC said. He declared that the candidates found involved in violating the prohibitory orders would be disqualified from contesting the elections.
Mr Justice Riaz Akhter Chaudhry said that AJK Legislative Assembly had, through an unanimously passed resolution, called for holding the next year elections to the AJK legislature on the basis of old electoral lists.
He said that the opinion of the heads and other responsible leaders of almost all the political parties of AJK have been invited.
The CEC said that the names of registered enlisted voters who have died or shifted and changed their residence permanently or declared bogus or invalid voter, will be deleted from the voters list. Whereas the names of the eligible voters, whom were not yet enlisted, will be included in the list, he said.
The CEC said that updating the electoral lists is a regular process. He said that the chief election commissioner and the registration officer have the authority to make the electoral lists updated till the holding of the elections and till the announcement of the election schedule, respectively.
The CEC revealed that an intensive drive is being launched by the Election Commission to delete the names of fake, bogus and ineligible voters from the lists and for this purpose a Monitoring Cell is being set up in the Election Commission office in near future.
He said that the Monitoring Cell would also monitor the performance of the registration officers. "Disciplinary action will be taken against the incapable employees, besides against those found involved in any sort of negligence during performance of their professional duties," he warned. He said that all the public servants would be deputed for election duty at any place under the law.
He also said that there would be no permission to hold procession, display of arms or firing by the candidates or their supporters during the election campaign as well as on the election day.