NEW DELHI: As India-Pakistan ties hit a rough patch, Islamabad has decided against sending a senior representative from the Election Commission of Pakistan for an international conference on voter education being organised by the Election Commission here this week. A junior official of the Pakistani poll watchdog will however attend the two-day meet beginning October 19.

Justice (retd) Shakeel Ahmed Baloch, Member (Balochistan), Election Commission of Pakistan, was to attend the two-day conference beginning October 19. But Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha said on Monday that, “Pakistan has not confirmed (his) participation.”

He said the invites were sent online some three months back and election bodies were asked to register their participation online. Representatives of around 23 of the 35-40 countries invited for the event have confirmed their participation.

“There is no confirmation by Pakistan,” Sinha said. The conference starts Wednesday morning for which most of the participants have already arrived

Later, official spokesperson of the Election Commission said the poll panel has received confirmation that Altaf Ahmed, Director (PR and Political Finance)) from the Election Commission of Pakistan will be attending the conference.

The first-ever global conference on voter education is being organised by the Election Commission in association with UNDP. It will provide a forum for the election management bodies from various countries to share best practices in voter awaren

The commission will also launch an NRI survey-cum- competition with an aim of gathering useful data and also attracting and engaging NRIs about their voting eligibility and rights.

“This will also help guide the Commission in formulating further voting initiatives especially designed for the Overseas Indian population,” Sinha said.