Polls in Pakistani Kashmir on, despite incorrect electoral lists

Islamabad: The election commission in Pakistani Kashmir has admitted to many mistakes in the electoral lists but said the June 26 polls for the 41-member legislative assembly would go ahead.

"We take responsibility for many mistakes and inaccuracies in the electoral lists but the polls for the local legislature will go ahead, since we neither have time or sufficient staff to engage in corrections," the poll panel in Muzaffarabad said, according to the Urdu daily Jang.

In a release Saturday, the poll panel said the government had decided to entrust the preparation of lists to staff of the revenue department, instead of the education department as earlier, and many mistakes were noticed when the lists were prepared.

Though rectification work was carried out under the supervision of the deputy commissioners concerned, many mistakes still remained in the lists, it said.

"We have no other option but to conduct the polls on the basis of these lists only," the statement said.

The erstwhile princely state of Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan. While Pakistan holds the northern third of the Himalayan state, the rest is controlled by India.

The Pakistani held area is divided into the Northern Areas of Gilgit-Baltistan (72,971 square km) and Pakistani or "Azad" Kashmir with an area of 13,297 square km and an estimated population of about four million.

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(Photo: IANS)