M A I N   N E W S

10 lakh may not cast votes

Islamabad, October 9
As many as 10 lakh voters between 18 and 21 years may not be able to cast votes in tomorrow’s general election in Pakistan as they have not been issued the National Identity Cards (NICs).

A report in The Nation said quoting sources at the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA).

“The cards, both new and old ones, are being issued to the voters, but it is impossible to ensure issuance of cards to everyone,’’ the sources said. On the directives of the Election Commission of Pakistan, the NADRA authorities started issuing computerised and previous ID cards to those attaining voting age on January 1, 2002, after the present government decided to fix 18-year as the minimum age for casting vote. Out of the country’s total population of 14,56,00,000 under the 1998 census, there are 71.2 million eligible voters over 18 years of age. There were nearly 60 million voters when the voting age was 21 years. This is first election in the 55-year national history that 18-year-old youth have been given the right to vote.

Meanwhile, Pakistani President Gen Pervez Musharraf has said the old political system promoted ‘anti-democratic’ norms and expressed the hope that a new and capable leadership will emerge after the October 10 elections.

The President said there was no democracy within the political parties themselves and family members were made to replace the party leadership. “It is not a monarchy,’’ he observed.

General Musharraf hoped that the aftermath of the October 10 poll would see the emergence of a new and capable leadership, working for the progress and prosperity of the country.

The President said he was aware of the fact that sons and relatives of former parliamentarians are contesting elections. But he observed that one should not doubt the son if his father was not a right person.

To a question about the future leadership in Pakistan, the President said a process and system should be followed, and added, it would not be he but the new Prime Minister who would govern the country. UNI

4 ‘Indian spies’ held in Pak

Islamabad, October 9
The Pakistani police today claimed to have arrested four Indian “spies” ahead of tomorrow’s general elections, saying they had infiltrated into the country to carry out “acts of sabotage” during the elections.

Police officials in Karachi said an Indian “spy” allegedly trained by RAW had been arrested in the city. In Rawalpindi, the police said three Indian “terrorists” were arrested yesterday. PTI