Ijaz Kakakhel Islamabad
A legislative body of Upper house of parliament on Monday passed the Bill for further amendment of the Elections Act, 2017. The bill was passed during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, which held today at the Old PiPs Hall, Parliament Lodges while senator Dr. Humayun Mohmand was on chair.
It was informed that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) requested to amend Section 232 of the Elections Act, 2017, and to remove the acronym FATA from FORM-A (for Senate elections only), following the merger of FATA into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through the 25th constitutional amendment. These amendments will be incorporated into the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which was endorsed by the committee.
Today, the inaugural meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs was chaired by Dr. Humayun Mohmand at the Old PiPs Hall, Parliament Lodges. Participants included Senators Syed Ali Zafar, Khalida Ateeb, Pervaiz Rasheed, Sarmad Ali, and Senator Taj Haider. The Secretary of Parliamentary Affairs, Secretary ECP, and other senior officials from related departments were also present.
The meeting included an interactive session on the functions, duties, and responsibilities of the Election Commission of Pakistan in ensuring free, fair, and transparent elections.
It was emphasized that the Election Commission is responsible for organizing and conducting elections for the National and Provincial Assemblies, the Office of the President, Senate, and local governments (provinces, cantonments, and ICT). The ECP also oversees by-elections to fill vacant positions in the Senate, assemblies, or local governments.
The committee extensively discussed the reasons for rejecting the proposal to introduce electronic voting machines (EVMs) and an I-voting system for general elections, by-elections, and local government elections in Pakistan. It was clarified that the ECP has neither declined nor shown reluctance to adopt EVMs or I-voting systems. Pilot tests of EVMs, Biometric Verification Machines (BVMs), and overseas voting were conducted as per legal provisions. The committee was briefed that procuring 150 EVMs costs Rs. 110 million, which is deemed expensive given the current economic conditions of the country.
