The Independent Election Commission (IEC) says the security forces have promised to ensure the safety of 5,100 voting centers with the help of foreign forces on election day.

“At least 21,000 polling stations will be established and the list has already been shared (with security officials). Security plans have been made for them and we have been assured that the safety of the centers is ensured,” IEC spokesman Sayed Hafizullah Hashemi said at a press conference on Wednesday. 

The IEC officials said the commission has deleted the names of 87,000 people from amongst four million voters which were included in the database. This was due to incomplete information. 

The commission has so far entered details of 7.3 million voters in to the database and said it has prepared voters lists for 10 provinces.

The Afghan Central Civil Registration Authority meanwhile said a team has been assigned to assess the issue of fake identity cards.

“A senior delegation led by the Attorney General of Afghanistan has been asked to assess the identity cards which have been made public by media or are with people,” said Humayun Muhtat, head of the authority.

This comes after a political movement - the Grand National Coalition of Afghanistan – revealed thousands of fake national identity cards and voter stickers at an event on September 1.

Members of the coalition said such an attempt will pave the ground for widespread fraud in the upcoming elections.

Photos of government officials, influential figures and MPs were used on the fake identity cards. The photo of Jabbar Qahraman, an MP and analyst, was used for five ID cards with stickers on them.

Members of the coalition said some employees of the Independent Election Commission have helped them in collecting the fake identity cards.

According to the Independent Election Commission, more than nine million people have registered to vote in the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections in the country.

The upcoming parliamentary elections is scheduled for October 20.