Election Commission of Pakistan has barred the voters to bring their mobile phones to polling station on May 11th, 2013, i.e. Election Day.
ECP said that decision was taken to ensure the transparency, avoid any possibility of poll-rigging, violence on Election Day, manipulation of votes or selling of votes.
ECP said that it had enough evidences of voters taking pictures of their ballot papers as evidence for casting votes in favour of a specific candidate and getting bribes in-return. Commission said that ban of mobile phones on Election day will eliminate any such chances of bribing the voters.
A statement issued by ECP said that each presiding officer will ask the voter if he is carrying a mobile phone. In case the answer is in the affirmative, the presiding officer shall direct the voter to place the mobile on his table and thereafter, ballot paper will be issued to the voter who, after marking it in a screened compartment, will insert his folded ballot papers in the ballot boxes and only then his mobile will be returned to him.
ECP spokesperson further said that voters will not be given the ballot papers if they deny to hand over the phones.
In a related news, ECP is considering to block cellular service on Election Day in whole of Pakistan to avoid any violence and terrorist activity.
What a stupid reason “avoid any possibility of poll-rigging”. It is the exact opposite: without mobiles we cannot record pictures and videos as evidence of rigging. Certainly the ECP has NOT forgotten all the videos uploaded to youtube after the last election (good choice youtube is still banned right???) and is now making sure NO videos are captured or uploaded.
How does one possibly perform poll rigging with phones??? Just because I can take pictures of my ballot means nothing. Don’t people think they can get payment to tick the right box with or without image evidence???
earlier an application was launched to Capture rigging videos and upload them to report but now the mobiles phones are banned,, we should take a camera inside?????
What if something bad happen at polling station ….. tou wath e aziz kay kisi eedaaraay nay awam ko panii tak ka bhee nahii poochnaa !
They banned mobile phones and then they ask for video evidence of rigging. What confused morons.