Electronic voting system: Govt accused of devising ‘new source of stealing’ elections

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Wednesday accused the government of devising “a new source of stealing” the elections in the alleged pretext of introducing electronic voting system.

Speaking at a news conference here, PML-N senior leader and former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and the party secretary-general Ahsan Iqbal expressed the fear about the insecurity of the electronic voting.

“If someone takes the machines away or makes the data disappear then where will we go?” Abbasi asked, adding that those who are devising the electronic voting system are “themselves involved in stealing elections”.

“The electronic voting system is being devising by those themselves came into power in result of the most controversial elections of the country’s history,” he maintained, adding: “it is tantamount to deputing a wolf for taking care of a sheep.”

Referring to the letter written by Prime Minister Imran Khan to Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser, asking him to form a parliamentary committee to probe into the corrupt practices in the recent Senate election, Abbasi termed it as communication between the “two ignorant” “who does not know the parliamentary traditions”.

“The author of the letter is the one whose government kidnapped 20 presiding officers in Daska by-polls and no enquiry has been ordered so far,” he maintained, adding that a month has been passed but no action has been taken against the kidnapping of 20 presiding officers during the NA-75 election in Daska.

Abbasi also dared the Speaker to expunge the Prime Minister’s alleged unparliamentarily language used after taking the vote of confidence. “If the Speaker has any courage, he should expunge those remarks from the prime minister’s speech. This is his authority and his responsibility,” he said, adding: “If the Speaker knew the parliamentary rules, he should have taken notice when the premier took the name of five opposition leaders and defamed during his speech.”

Indicating that the opposition would not become part of the parliamentary committee, he accused the Speaker of being not “impartial”, adding that the Speaker failed to take notice of what happened with PML-N leaders including him in front of the Parliament.

Abbasi hoped that Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) would continue to remain united, adding that the alliance takes every decision with consensus expect for the one on the issue of resignations. “Differences of opinion exist anywhere and I hope a consensus is also developed on this issue as well,” he said, adding that the “movement” would continue its struggles.

To a question that, he said that PPP has a opinion which is its right and would be respected, adding “PDM there is not dictatorship but democracy within the alliance.”

Responding another query, he said that there was no discussion on resignations from the provincial assemblies, particularly in Sindh, adding that the PDM is talking about resignations from the National Assembly.

Speaking on the occasion, Ahsan Iqbal lashed out at the government for it’s the rising inflation and price hike, adding that all the indicators were showing down trends. He said that the foreign direct investment has decreased by 30 percent compared to previous year and it has declined by 300 percent compared to 2018.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021