ISLAMABAD: Less than a week after Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) voiced its concerns over the functionality of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) prepared by Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), Shibli Faraz, the Science and Technology Minister, Monday, said, the EVMs are the "only way forward" and his ministry is determined to improve the EVMs standards "to the maximum level as per requirements of ECP."
He shared these views in a meeting with senior officials of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN).
The delegates were given a detailed demonstration of working of an EVM and its role in the electoral process, MoST said in a statement issued after the meeting. "It is the need of the hour to use technology for improving our electoral system. The EVM reduces the human interface. Hence, it is a tool towards efficient, free and credible elections," Faraz was quoted as saying.
UNDP delegates were Chief Technical Advisor Darren Scott Nance and Training Specialist Qasim Janjua. Director Programme Mudasir Rizvi and former chairperson Sarwar Bari represented FAFEN. Secretary Science and Technology Dr Akhtar Nazir was also part of the meeting.
On Friday, three days after ECP expressed its concerns regarding EVMs during a demonstration given by Faraz, Prime Minister Imran Khan "emphasised on responding to unwarranted criticism against EVMs with facts." He shared these views while presiding over a high-level meeting on EVMs.
Earlier, last Tuesday, a clear divide between federal government and ECP became apparent on the issue of EVMs after ECP formed a Technical Evaluation Committee to review EVMs "from every aspect" as ECP officials raised questions and expressed concerns on the functioning of EVMs during a related briefing given by Shibli Faraz.
On the other hand, Faraz claimed before media that ECP "expressed satisfaction" on the EVMs prepared by his ministry. However, an ECP statement issued after the demonstration given by Faraz said Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, ECP members and other senior officials raised questions and concerns during the briefing.
The ECP was briefed on different functions of EVMs including its software, hardware and other features. The ECP announced to hire the services of technical consultants to assist the commission on issues like EVMs, internet voting (i-voting) for overseas Pakistanis, preparation of voter lists and related issues.
However, Faraz told a different story. He told the media after the EVMs demonstration that CEC "congratulated us on the preparation of EVMs." The ECP, he said, expressed its satisfaction on the EVMs prepared by MoST. He said the ECP officials asked some 75 questions related to the functioning of EVMs all of which were answered by the MoST team. The government and ECP, in principle, have decided to use technology in general elections 2023, Faraz said.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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