Now SMS to do the job of voters list in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN: Simply by sending an SMS, Pakistanis will get to know where they are registered as a voter and their serial number in the electoral roll. An official said this was for the first time in the world.

The new service will be introduced soon, enabling people to verify their particulars in the electoral rolls without having to visit the 'voter lists display centers'.

The National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) has drawn up the detailed proposal for the SMS application.

"This is a great convenience for the citizens to verify their status as voters through e-mode using state-of-the-art technology for the first time in the world," Dawn quoted Election Commission secretary Ishtiak Ahmed Khan as saying.

Tariq Malik, a senior official, said once a citizen sends his/her voter number to a short code, he/she will receive a message in Urdu containing details of the area where the person is registered as a voter and the serial number in the electoral rolls.

He said the service would help the public verify their status from any place in Pakistan.

Pakistan has a population of about 180 million.