ISLAMABAD: The locally-made Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) would be priced at Rs70,000 per machine while federal government plans to acquire around 400,000 EVMs (including locally-made and imported ones) for the 2023 general elections.
These details were shared on Thursday by Science and Technology Minister Shibli Faraz in the meeting of National Assembly Standing Committee on Science and Technology. Committee Chairman Sajid Mehdi presided over the meeting to discuss issues related to the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST).
He said an EVM is a user-friendly machine that would significantly help stop rigging in future general elections. The machine is waterproof, weather-resistant and cannot be hacked due to its non-connectivity with internet, Faraz said.
He urged the opposition lawmakers to "avoid unnecessary criticism- and float suggestions to bring improvements in EVM."
The committee appreciated the efforts of COMSATS University Islamabad and National Institute of Electronics Islamabad for preparation of EVMs in a short span of time.
However, some committee members strongly criticised the proposed introduction of new electoral system in the upcoming general elections as EVMs, they said, could have "certain loopholes to ensure transparent elections." Moreover, EVMs would create complications for "common people especially old-age villagers as they will not be able operate it," the NA panel members said.
The committee asked MoST to arrange a meeting with the representatives of all political parties in a bid to build mutual consensus on EVMs.
The committee deferred two government bills and a private-member bill till next meeting. Those were; The University of Engineering and Emerging Technology Bill, 2020, The National Metrology Institute of Pakistan Bill 2021 and The National University of Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2020 moved by Riaz Fatyana from the ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Lawmakers including Usman Khan Taraki, Shaukat Ali Bhatti, Abdul Shakoor Shad, Sobia Kamal Khan, Dr Mukhtar Ahmad Malik, Zaib Jaffar, Dr Samina Matloob, Khursheed Ahmed Junejo, Sikandar Ali Rahoupoto and senior officials from MoST attended the NA panel meeting.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021