FAISALABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill Saturday said that the electronic voting machines (EVMs) would be used in the next general elections at any cost for ensuring free, fair and transparent elections in the country.

Addressing a press conference at the guest house (dera) of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Chaudhry Qamar Mansoor Gill here, he said electoral reforms was the part of the PTI manifesto, which would be fulfilled at every cost.

He said they were unable to understand why the opposition was afraid of the EVMs' use in the coming general elections, adding that the present EVM was most modern as compared to the machine introduced in 2017.

He said that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was made bound through Election Act 2017 to initially use the EVMs at small scale, and after rectifying its flaws, if any, the machines would be used at a large scale.

He said that more than 50 by-polls had so far been held during the last four years, but unfortunately the ECP did not fulfil its constitutional responsibilities. He claimed that the points raised by the ECP over the use of EVMs in the next general elections had been rejected and criticised in editorials and analyses.-PR

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021