ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has constituted a committee on Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) and also directed the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) registration of nine million overseas Pakistani voters.

Talking to reporters after inauguration of upgraded system of Pakistan Online Visa System (POVS) at the NADRA headquarters, he said that the matters related to the EVMs will be settled with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the picture of the voter will be published on the voter list to ensure transparency in the next election.

He said that near the next general elections, voters list will be shared on mobile phone.

About recent meeting of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), he said that all three meetings of the PDM gave no result.

He thanked God for an “incompetent opposition”. Regarding alleged leaked audio tape of former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar, Rashid said that the opposition is now playing media, media and video, video only, and they do not have a solid defense for their allegations.

The government will complete its five-year term, he said. Earlier, he said that five categories have been added in the online visa. Online application was not only promoting tourism in Pakistan but also a catalyst in positive image building of the country.

He said the ease of access to Pakistan generated through the POVS had improved Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and stirred up socio-economic activity in the country.

So far over 600,000 applications have been received from 180 countries through online visa system, he added.

Chairman NADRA Tariq Malik, while speaking on the launch, said that the recent upgrades in Pakistan Online Visa System would result in reducing the application filing time by 50 percent.

He said international travel has witnessed a major spike and visa approval rate has reached to 94 percent.

Moreover, new categories medical tourism, CPEC visa, and pilgrim visa, mountaineering and trekking visa have also been incorporated in the Pakistan Online Visa System. Business visa policy is also revamped through which visa acquisition is now possible within 24 hours.

Earlier, the system inaugurated in March 2019 was a cumbersome process with no access through smart phones and tablets.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021