NONE OF THE ABOVE 

The ECP yielding to the politicians’ request has removed the “None of the Above” box from the ballot papers.  The politicians’ point of view was that anybody not wishing to vote for any of the contestants would not come to the polling station in the first place just to stamp the said box!  Okay, agreed and let’s accept their view point.  But if the turn out in any constituency is less than 50 per cent of the registered voters then  should it not be assumed that the absentee voters do not wish to vote for any of the contestants whose name and symbol appear on the ballot paper? It would, therefore, tantamount to their fixing the stamp on the NONE OF THE ABOVE box, had it been there.  In such an eventuality all the contestants of the constituency should be declared UNELECTED and voting be held again there – of course – with a new set of contestants as the previous ones had been rejected by the 50 per cent or mor e of the registered voters who did not come to vote. 

Will the ECP kindly formulate the rules in this regard, as it would be quite in accordance with their point of view? 

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)