Use of EVMs in general elections: electoral reforms body asks ECP to finalise proposals

Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms on Wednesday directed Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to finalise its proposal on the biometric system of identification and the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the next general elections to be held in 2018.
Federal Minister for Finance Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar chaired the 10th in-camera meeting of Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms on Wednesday to review the recommendations finalised by the sub-committee. The committee directed the ECP to finalise its proposal on the use of latest technology in the next general elections as it is the constitutional duty of the commission to suggest steps for ensuring free and fair elections.
The committee was informed that so far the Election Commission had not been able to present a complete and comprehensive plan on the use of latest technology in the future general elections and many questions remained unanswered or inadequately elaborated. The ECP had given a presentation and practical demonstration on EVM and biometric system to the members of the sub-committee. It also included use of latest technology in its Second Five-Year Strategic Plan 2014-2018. However, the ECP did not mention in its plan about the merits and de-merits of the machines. During the demonstration of EVM, the ECP failed to satisfy the parliamentarians.
The National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) also refused to take responsibility to execute the machines during the next elections. However, they agreed to develop software to be used in the machines. On Wednesday, the agenda was to review the progress so far made by the Sub-committee of the Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms headed by Minister for Science and Technology Zahid Hamid.
Zahid Hamid briefed the Committee that the sub-committee had so far held six meetings since it has been notified on October 24. The Minister also briefed that the sub-committee has been in the process of reviewing the laws related to elections in the country. "Till date it has completed its work on laws related to "Delimitation of Constituencies, Electoral Rolls, Political Parties Order, Allocation of Symbols, Election Campaign Order and Representation of People's Act."
Senator Dar appreciated the efforts of the sub-committee and thanked the members of the committee who had been meeting regularly to complete the task assigned to it, especially the female members who had been regularly taking out time to work for the sub-committee.
The Minister also approved the suggestion to include more members in the sub-committee as and when the need arises. Naeema Kishwar Khan MNA, Barrister Zafarullah Khan and Khwaja Zaheer Ahmad were also proposed as the new members of the sub-committee by Zahid Hamid. The Finance Minister proposed the name of the retired Secretary Election Commission Ishtiaq Ahmad Khan to be a member of the sub-committee, if he agrees, to make use of his rich experience.
Chairman of the Committee Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar in his concluding remarks said that the Sub-Committee of Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms shall complete its work within next six to eight weeks and before the completion of this period there will be another meeting to review the progress made by the sub-committee.