ISLAMABAD, Dec 22: Election reforms are an evolutionary process because implementation takes time. If women voters are restricted in a particular constituency, then the election result should be declared null and void.

This was stated by participants of “Consultation and Preparation for Election 2013” organised by Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), on Saturday.

Presidential spokesman and PPP veteran leader Senator Farhatullah Babar, the National Party leader Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo, Senator Suriya Amirud Din of PPP, MNA Iqbal Qadri of MQM, JUI-F Senator Hafiz Hamdullah, Zafar Jamal Baloch Vice President of Jamaat-i-Islami, DG Election Commission Syed Sher Afghan, representatives of non government organisations and human rights activists also participated in the event.

Farhatullah Babar said that voters should be facilitated and encouraged to come out of their houses and cast their votes.

He suggested that voters should be allowed to cast their votes in more than one polling station.

However HRCP Secretary General I.A. Rehman said that the implementation of the suggestion would create confusion because normally a polling station has over 1,000 votes but in case of giving multiple options, the staff would have to find out names from around ten thousand names.

MNA Iqbal Qadri said that MQM pays all the expenses of candidates and candidates even do not have to pay the fee of the election commission, during filing of nomination papers.

He offered a suggestion that parties should transfer funds in the accounts of candidates and all expenses for the elections should be paid from these particular accounts, for better accountability.

“At the moment money gathered through corruption is spent on elections which should be stopped. Around 7.2 million voters have been shifted from their addresses which are mentioned in voter lists, that issue should be resolved. Census should be conducted and a number of constituencies should be increased as per population,” he said.

Senator Hafiz Hamdullah said that JUI-F had been contesting elections using ‘Book’ as a symbol, since 1988, and hopes that election symbols would not be changed before the elections.

Human rights activist Hussain Naqi said that JUI-F should not project the symbol ‘Book’ as ‘Quran’. However, Hamdullah retorted that then ‘lion’ should be in a ‘cage’ and ‘arrow’ should be in a ‘bow’.

Hamdullah also suggested that in Islamabad and four capitals of the provinces (Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta and Karachi) polling should be done through electronic machines.

DG Election Commission said that there is a proposal for electronic machines but it can only be implemented through legislation.

Zafarullah Khan, representing Centre for Civic Education, an NGO, said that the role of the media should be defined for elections.

One party or person should not be given the right to buy all the prime time on TV channels and then sell it to political parties.

“According to law, returning officer of the election commission should have record regarding expenses and receipts. Any expense over Rs500 should be submitted in the office of the returning officer. A strategy needs to be devised for non state actors,” he said.

Zaman Khan of HRCP said that we do not have the tradition of party funded elections. Political parties should give funds to candidates and government should also give funds to parties.

I.A. Rehman said that we make code of conduct for every election but there is not a single example of seeking explanation from candidates or politicians. “During the last elections in Indian Punjab, the Chief Minister was summoned by the election commission because an advertisement issued by the government was against the code of conduct.”