PTI accuses government of wilfully delaying e-voting machines' introduction

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday accused the government of wilfully delaying the introduction of electronic voting machines in a bid to avoid biometric system in next general election. The electoral reforms committee of PTI headed by Jehangir Khan Tareen took stock of the progress made by the electoral reforms committee of the government and regretted that despite passage of about one year, it has failed to reach any conclusion on reforms.
PTI MNA Dr Arif Alvi, who is a member of the government's electoral reforms committee, gave a detailed briefing to the committee. The meeting was attended by senior PTI leaders including Asad Umar, Shafqat Mehmood, Shireen Mazari, Fawad Chaudhry, Shibli Faraz and others.
They said electronic voting system was very much possible, but the government was wilfully delaying it, adding no progress had yet been made to give right to franchise to overseas Pakistanis. They said that Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) must be made independent fully, both administratively and financially, so that it could ensure free and fair election in the country next time.
Some of the changes prepared by the electoral reforms committee were also opposed, and the PTI members were told to oppose any attempt by the government which could become a hurdle in ensuring free and fair election. Three different committees headed by Shafqat Mehmood, Ghulam Sarwar Khan and Dr Arif Alvi were also formed with directives to give their recommendation on electoral reforms, as transparent elections are not possible without eradicating the menace of rigging. Tareen said the party would make all-out efforts to introduce effective electoral reforms system before the next general election, adding fair election would remain an uphill task without introducing proper electoral reforms in existing laws of the ECP.