By SPA
Islamabad : Election observers will be free to visit polling stations and offices of the returning officers to monitor polling process during the Feb 18 parliamentary elections, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Secretary Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad says.
He discussed with a two-member delegation comprising Glenn Cowan from Democracy International and Gregory Minjack from Capital Links from Washington the matters relating to the international observers and their security, said an official statement.
Dilshahd informed the delegation about the measures taken by the ECP and the Ministry of Interior regarding their security.
He, however, advised that the foreign observers should intimate about their programme of visiting the polling stations and districts concerned so that the Ministry of Interior and provincial governments may ensure their security.
The secretary told the members of the delegation that the presiding officers, under the law, at the close of the poll, are required to provide the copies of the Statement of Count and the Ballot Paper Account to all the Polling Agents or the candidates present at the Polling Stations as well as to the national and international observers.
The observers are allowed to observe the process of polling/counting of the votes at the polling stations as well as the process of compilation of result by the election officers concerned.
Accreditation Cards will be issued to at least 3000 observes to monitor the next general elections.