Constitutional amendment needs for identifiable ballot, says CEC

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court while hearing the presidential reference on the Senate election expressed dissatisfaction over the report submitted by the election commission, ARY News reported.

The Chief Election Commissioner and the election commission members appeared before the court in the hearing.

A five-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed was hearing the presidential reference seeking the court’s advice over open ballot in the upcoming Senate election.

“The election commission should not keep silence over the matter and submit its report after reviewing all aspects of the matter”, the chief justice said.

The chief election commissioner opposed use of the identifiable ballot papers in the electoral process. While opposing serial numbers on ballot papers, the election commission chief said that the amendment in constitution will be required for the identifiable ballot papers in the election.

“The court not suggesting for amending any law. The election commission knows well what is happening,” the top judge said.

“The Supreme Court had declared any mark on the ballot paper as unlawful in the past. An identifiable ballot paper have no place in the law,” the CEC further said.

“The election commission has summoned a meeting to review the video recently surfaced. The commission will decide if a forensic test of the video is necessary,” the election commissioner said.

“The election commission has come to know about the 2018 video now,” Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan remarked.

“The election commission was not interested in ending corruption from the electoral process,” the chief justice said.

Attorney General Khalid Javed submitted his recommendations to the election commission, to ensure transparency in the election.

Senator Raza Rabbani said that the recommendations from the AG will be deemed proposals from the PTI. He urged for taking all the stakeholders into confidence over the matter.

The court summoned the Chief Election Commissioner and the members of the election commission on Wednesday with effective recommendations and adjourned further hearing of the presidential reference till tomorrow.