Magnetic ink not to be used in next general election; use of ink in 2013 general election proved total failure
ISLAMABAD: Examining the audit paras related to the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), audit officials told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday that different banks had pocketed billions of rupees profit accrued from the programme.
by Syed Khursheed Shah, the committee examined the audit paras related to the ECP for the financial year 2012-13 and Benazir Income Support Programme for the financial year 2013-14.
The committee was told that the BISP had distributed Rs37 billion without approval of its board. Secretary BIPS Ms Yasmeen told the committee that she had taken the charge a few days back and sought time to look into the matter.
Examining another audit para, audit officials told the committee that the BISP had awarded the contract to six commercial banks, HBL, UBL, Alfalah, Summit Bank, Sindh and Tameer Bank, in violation of rules and without advertising.
The audit officials told the committee that banks charge service charges of 3 percent on every transaction and if the contracts had been awarded competitively then there was possibility of reduction in service charges.
Examining the audit paras related to the Economic Affairs Division, the issue of monetization came up before the committee. Khursheed Shah questioned whether the policy of monetization was still continuing or had been revoked.
Auditor General of Pakistan Rana Assad Amin told the committee that the monetization policy still continues. The committee proposed revoking of the monetization policy for bureaucrats. The Election Commission of Pakistan Tuesday admitted before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that the use of magnetic ink in the May 2013 general election was a total failure and it was decided that it will not be in used in the next general election.
“We didn’t get the desired results from the magnetic ink in the previous general elections so there is no proposal at the moment to continue with the magnetic ink in the next general elections.
In my personal view, the Election Commission will not use it in the upcoming general election but the final decision in this regard has to be taken by the commission,” Secretary ECP Babar Yaqoob told the PAC.
The issue of indelible ink came up before the committee when audit officials pointed out irregular expenditure of Rs160.103 million on purchase of indelible ink and magnetized stamp pads.
Secretary ECP also admitted before the committee that the commission should have used the magnetic ink on experimental basis before using it in the 2013 general election which was not done.
He said the commission was not using the magnetic ink in the by-elections. He said 4.8 million new voters had been registered and now their verification was going on in the door-to-door campaign. He told the committee that the process for purchase of 300 electronic and 400 biometric machines for electronic voting had been completed.
Audit officials pointed out irregular expenditure of Rs160.103 million on purchase of indelible ink and magnetized stamp pads and told the committee that the ECP issued work for an amount of Rs160.103 million, including transportation charges of Rs2.914 million to the Pakistan Council for Scientific and Industrial research, Karachi for Indelible Ink (Vials) and magnetized stamp pads for use in general Elections in 2013 and these were made without calling open tenders.
The ECP officials told the committee that the PCSIR laboratories Complex, Karachi was sole proprietor of indelible ink and magnetized stamp pads to avoid any security issue and unfair means in the electoral process. Sardar Ashiq Gopang questioned if such precaution measures were taken then how the general elections became controversial.
Secretary ECP replied that use of indelible ink had created issues and the Nadra had admitted before the Judicial commission that the desired results of magnet ink could not be achieved and now the ECP was also considering a proposal for not using it in the next general election. PML-N member of PAC Sheikh Rohail Asghar observed that if the fault lay with the magnet ink then why candidates were accused.
