ECP Reviews Ballot Papers Printing Arrangements For General Elections-2018

Rukhshan Mir (@rukhshanmir) Published September 26, 2016 | 09:50 PM

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News -26th Sep,2016) : The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Monday reviewed arrangements for the printing of ballot papers for General Elections - 2018. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza, Members Election Commission, Secretary ECP, Secretary Cabinet, Chairman Pakistan Security Printing Press, Chairman Pakistan Post Foundation and other Senior Officers attended the meeting.

Matters related to the printing of ballot papers for the general elections were discussed at length. According to the briefing given by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), for General Elections - 2018 over 20 million ballot papers would be required for national and provincial assemblies elections.

The ECP desires foolproof arrangements for the timely and accurate printing of the ballot papers. The secretary cabinet informed that Printing Corporation of Pakistan (PCP) has the capacity of printing 13.5 crores ballot papers within 20 days using their old and new machines set up.

The only lacuna for the old printing machines is that they do not print numbers on ballot papers whereas PCP has 15 new state of the art printing machines which could print the numbers on ballot papers as well.

With only these new machines, they could print about 4 crores ballot papers in 20 days, prior to general elections. The chairman of Pakistan Security Printing Corporation, Misbah Tunio informed that they could print about 75 millions ballot papers in 20 days before the elections with their latest printing press.

The Pakistan Post informed they could print 10 corers ballot papers with their latest machines within 20 days. The CEC directed the Secretary Cabinet to inform about their realistic capacity within next 2 weeks if they could acquire the required machines and manpower for printing of ballot papers within stipulated time period.

The commission also decided that no ballot papers would be printed with machinery which cannot print numbers. The Secretary, ECP categorically informed that no organization would be engaged for printing of ballot papers which could not accomplish the task satisfactorily in given time period. APP/szm/rkg