ECP dissatisfied with use of biometric machines in NA-120 by-polls

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Friday expressed dissatisfaction over the use of biometric machines on experimental basis during the recent by-election in NA-120, Lahore.

During a media briefing here, Secretary Election Commission Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad said the ECP has received preliminary report on use of biometric machines in NA-120 on experimental basis, which was not encouraging and detailed report would be presented before the Parliament shortly. He explained that the ECP used 100 biometric machines at 100 polling booths in NA-120 by-election, which was held on September 17. The data of 30,979 male voters and 20,959 female voters was loaded in the biometric machines.

Babar Yaqoob said that preliminary report states that 22,181 voters used these biometric machines to cast their vote. However, machines did not verify thumb impression of 2,646 voters in the by-election in the constituency.

This concludes that 12 percent votes could not be verified out of total number. As many as 88 percent votes were verified, he added. The secretary ECP said the country has registered 97 million voters in electoral list. This means that an estimated 11 million voters’ thumb impression may remain unverified if biometric machines would be used. He further said that NA-120 constituency population is largely educated, therefore, 88 percent population know how to use biometric machines. In case, the biometric machines are used in rural population, the ratio of rejected/unverified votes would increase, he said.

There are apprehensions that if such experiment was made in a rural constituency, he explained, then the result could be even more worrying and could lead to increase in unverified voters. He maintained that the ECP’s polling staff collected pictures and thumb impressions of those voters during NA-120 by-election whose data had not been provided by Nadra and that the result of biometric machines would not cast any doubt on the results of NA-120 as the ECP deputed experienced polling staff during the by-election.

He said it was encouraging as voters had shown their keen interest in the pilot project. He said that there are certain provisions in Elections Bill 2017 that allow the ECP to use BVM and EVM in by-elections as pilot projects and results of machines will be shared with the Parliament for legislation.