Employees of Pakistan Election Commission verify a voter during a door-to-door verification campaign with army protection in Karachi on January 29, 2013. – AFP Photo

ISLAMABAD: A three-member Supreme Court bench on Wednesday summoned a report till February 13 on the electoral reforms and verification of voter lists in Karachi with the assistance of army.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Shaukat Azmat Saeed directed the Attorney General Irfan Qadir to inform the authorities concerned that no delay tactics would be accepted at any cost.

The chief justice noted that the election process should not be affected at any cost. Appearing on notice, the attorney general informed the bench that the Peoples Representation Act amendment bill had been received by the law ministry.

He said the law ministry had also received proposals from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for “must vote legislation.”

The court then adjourned further hearing till Feb 13 and directed the election commission to submit its report over implementation of the court orders.

Meanwhile, sources have said that for the purpose of further verification of voters, the ECP has divided Karachi into three zones—neutral, sensitive and most sensitive.

Consensus has been evolved in a meeting between the defence secretary and the secretary of the ECP to deploy more army contingents in the most sensitive zones of the metropolis.

On the other hand, the opposition parties have announced to initiate a protest movement against alleged irregularities in the ongoing voter lists’ verification process by the election commission.

For that purpose, a protest rally will be staged in Karachi on Friday, which will be marked as a “black-day.”– DawnNews/PPI