The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has set up a gender desk in its Sindh office in Karachi, especially for the upcoming general elections. The office will be open from February 1 to 10 and available 24 hours a day from February 6 to 10. This initiative aims to quickly respond to the concerns of women, seniors, and minority communities.
A spokesperson for the provincial election commissioner has confirmed the establishment of a dedicated desk to handle complaints from various marginalized groups during the upcoming general elections. The desk is specifically designed to address concerns raised by women, senior citizens, transgender individuals, persons with disabilities, and minorities. Individuals from these segments of society can lodge complaints related to elections by calling the provided phone numbers: 021-99205338 and 021-99202624.
The ECP is on track to complete the printing of ballot papers by February 2, with the delivery process already underway in all four provinces. After announcing the general elections on February 8 and assigning election symbols, the ECP began printing ballot papers on January 16. Printing requires 270 tons of special paper and is carried out in three state-owned printing machines.
Ballot papers from Balochistan and Sindh constituencies will be printed in Karachi, while ballot papers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Islamabad will be produced at the government printing press in Islamabad. Ballots will carry distinctive watermarks indicating security measures aimed at ensuring the integrity of the electoral process. This practice of using watermarked ballots was introduced during the 2018 general election and represented a significant step forward. Three different machines are involved in the production of the ballot paper and strict security measures are in place during the printing process at the print shop premises.
