ISLAMABAD The scanning and data entry of as many as 85 million voters has been completed, in addition to the updating of the electoral rolls of the 10 constituencies, where by-elections are slated for February 25.

Chief Election Commissioner Justice Hamid Ali Mirza chaired a detailed meeting that also reviewed the pace of other ongoing electoral reforms. Also present on the case were four members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the National Database and Registration Authority as well as some other officials of the electoral body.

Nadra told the forum that after the completion of the printing process, it would deliver the preliminary electoral rolls to the ECP to be displayed at more than 50,000 display centres across the country by the third week of February.

With regard to the by-elections, the meeting noted that when the Supreme Court asked the commission to find a proper solution in the matter, the ECP issued notices to the elected representatives, conducted proper hearings and passed a detailed order upholding these by-elections but the Supreme Court chose not to accept these measures.

Regarding the constitutionality and legality of holding by-elections after the 18th Amendment, it was clarified that when a seat in the National Assembly or in the Provincial Assembly becomes vacant, an election to fill such seat is required to be held within 60 days from the occurrence of the vacancy under clause (4) of Article 224 of the constitution. Moreover, section 108(2) of the Representation of the People Act 1976 read with clauses (1) and (6) of Article 268 of the constitution empowers the Chief Election Commissioner to fill such casual vacancies.

The meeting also noted that while the ECP remained incomplete after the new piece of legislation from April 21, 2010 till June 2011,  28 vacancies had fallen vacant in the parliament and provincial assemblies and it was unconstitutional not to fill these vacancies and deprive the people of these constituencies from representation in the aforementioned bodies.