The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) vehemently dismissed social media allegations alleging the registration of fake votes in ghost constituencies, including Murree, and others to favor a specific political party.

The ECP spokesperson in a statement warned against making irresponsible statements and stated that the Commission reserves the right to take appropriate action against the relevant institutions and individuals.

The ECP spokesperson clarified that according to Sections 26 and 27 of the Elections Act, voters are registered based on their permanent or temporary address on their identity cards. Presence in a specific constituency is not obligatory, leading to variations in population and voter registration ratios among constituencies and districts.

People possessing National Identity cards registered in Murree or Jhelum often reside in different cities or locations, and since they are not present in Murree or Jhelum during the census, they are not included in the count. This results in a decrease in the recorded population of those specific areas. The voter registration in the electoral rolls rises as individuals with their address listed as Murree or Jhelum on their national identity cards are qualified to cast their votes in those locations.

Additionally, the ECP carried out a routine campaign addressing objections related to vote registration and exclusion. During this process, electoral rolls were updated, and the votes of deceased voters were removed, concluding on October 28, 2023, the last date for vote registration, exclusion, and termination. And same electoral rolls will be used during the elections.