Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms: ECP to give demo on biometric system, electronic voting

The Election Commission of Pakistan will give a demonstration to sub-committee of the Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms regarding biometric system and electronic voting on August 19. An in-camera meeting of the committee was held here on Wednesday headed by its convener Zahid Hamid at Parliament House. The committee members used most of the time in discussing next general elections through biometric and electronic voting.
The committee members demanded of the ECP to use biometric system on trial basis before the next general elections. Sources said that the ECP will give a detailed briefing on the procedures and usage of biometric and electronic voting machines in the next meeting of the sub-committee. The committee also discussed the recommendations of the ECP on constitutional provisions relating to elections.
The committee members discussed nine amendments to the Representation of the People's Act 1976. It was suggested that the serving judge should be appointed in the election tribunals to settle the electoral disputes instead of retired judges. Some members of the committee suggested incorporating the citizens having the Computerised National Identity Cards (CNIC) automatically in the relevant electoral lists.
On the right of vote to overseas Pakistanis, all parliamentary parties have agreed to extend the right of vote to expatriates and asked the ECP to look into different aspects and practicality of the issue, which would be done before the next general elections. The sub-committee is also proposing legislation on tax returns of the parliamentarians and hopefully it would be done with the consensus of all the parliamentary parties.