ECP's Visionary Leap: A New Era of Electoral Excellence (By Haroon Shinwari):
Transformative Journey Marks New Era in Pakistan's Electoral History:
In a significant stride towards strengthening democracy, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has undergone a transformative journey over the past five years (2020-2025). This period has witnessed numerous milestones that have revolutionized the electoral landscape of the country.
State-of-the-Art Infrastructure:
At the heart of ECP's transformation is the creation of a state-of-the-art Election Monitoring Control Centre (EMCC) at its Secretariat in Islamabad. This cutting-edge facility enables real-time monitoring of electoral activities, ensuring swift response to emerging challenges. A high-tech data centre complements the EMCC, securely storing and managing critical election data.
Empowering Citizens:
ECP has taken significant steps and established highly secured Record Room and a modern Media Room. These facilities ensure the safekeeping of vital official records and providing a conducive environment for media personnel to perform their duties smoothly.
Modernizing Operations:
To facilitate its employees, ECP has acquired buses and coasters for providing safe and efficient transportation. The Commission has also upgraded its office infrastructure in the field by constructing five new spacious offices of REC / DECs in Sargodha, Okara, Layyah, Jhelum and Attock. Beside construction of these buildings, ECP has also been able to construct 33 boundary walls to secure the plots acquired for field offices across the country. Furthermore, for the first time ECP has been successful in acquiring state land from provincial governments for 38 plots for its field offices across the country.
Youth Empowerment:
Well ahead of GE-2024, the ECP looking at the large number of youth voters in the voter list initiated a mega project of sensitizing students in all four provinces by conducting students awareness workshops in Government Higher Secondary Schools, Colleges and Universities and was able to achieve a record number of 2276 Interactive Students Awareness Workshops across the country from November 2021 to November 2023 motivated young citizens to register and cast their votes. Resultantly, Youth voter turnout increased from 37% in GE 2018 to 48% in GE 2024. Now after the General Elections-2024, ECP has once again initiated students awareness workshops across the country aiming to not only improve voter turnout in forthcoming elections but also to sensitize both male and female students to recognize and perform their national duty of registration of their votes and casting them in elections as responsible citizen of the country.
Information Dissemination:
ECP has been regularly publishing a quarterly newspaper since 2020, disseminating information on electoral processes to stakeholders, educational institutions, and the general public. Commission officers have also appeared on TV shows and written articles in newspapers to educate masses about the importance of voting.
Local Government Elections:
Despite facing obstacles, ECP successfully conducted Local Government Elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Sindh, empowering citizens and marginalized communities. The Commission is now focusing and striving on holding LG Elections in Punjab and ICT.
Digital Presence:
ECP has established a robust online presence, with its official website and social media pages updated 24/7 to provide accurate information to the citizens.
Capacity Building:
The Commission has abolished redundant posts and ensured merit based recruitment on different posts to ensure enhancing of overall efficiency of its operations. A digitized central library has also been set up at ECP Secretariat, providing researchers and officers with easy access to required resources.
A New Era of Electoral Excellence:
As ECP continues to build on its achievements, its visionary transformation serves as a testament to its unwavering commitment to democracy and electoral excellence. With its sights set on future challenges, ECP remains committed to play a pivotal role in shaping Pakistan's democratic landscape.