Section of foreign observers concerned over pre-poll violence in Pak

The International Observers Group of Centre for Media and Democracy (CMD) has expressed concern over reports of pre-poll violence in Pakistan ahead of the February 18 parliamentary elections.

Islamabad, Feb 15 : The International Observers Group of Centre for Media and Democracy (CMD) has expressed concern over reports of pre-poll violence in Pakistan ahead of the February 18 parliamentary elections.

The group, however, was satisfied with the steps taken by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

"We called on Election Commissioner Kanwar Dilshad who briefed the group over the reforms in the electoral procedure. We hope that these reforms would help establish credible and free and fair elections," Thomas George Houlahamn, Head of Mission told reporters.

"There are tools available in the electoral procedures, which would help ensure the conduct of free, fair and transparent polls. We are positive that polls would be credible. We would go to every nook and corner of the country to watch and the final report of the CMD International Observer Mission would be submitted in the next week," the Daily Times quoted him, as saying.

George Houlahamn, members of an eminent US think-tank, Center for Security and Science, Washington DC, told the media that the international community was concerned over the parliamentary elections credibility in Pakistan.

He went on to say that the authorities in Pakistan had informed them that all necessary measures were being taken to ensure credible electioneering.

Houlahamn said that the observer group had come to Pakistan to ensure that the electoral machinery works fairly.

Lauding the CMD efforts, Marian Lucas, a Dutch Civil Society activist, said the Pakistanis were cognisant of their rights and issues.

Formation of separate international and national observers group would facilitate the CMD to come up with a comprehensive report of the electoral process, she added.

ANI