ECP experiments with voting at Pak missions in Riyadh, New York, Dubai

ISLAMABAD: In a significant move for facilitating overseas Pakistanis to cast their vote in polls back in the country, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has carried out mock exercise for voting in Pakistan’s mission in Riyadh, New York and Dubai. Secretary ECP Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad will submit report based on the exercise just concluded to the special committee of the Parliament tomorrow (Tuesday) for electoral reforms. The exercise would greatly help in formulation of method for providing facility to the overseas Pakistanis in the polling for next general elections in the country supposed to take place in 2018. The major question of authenticity of the voter is being sorted out through the experiment. Recognition of the voter through voice as he would be given opportunity to vote by telephone or providing him opportunity through postal ballots are being worked out. The meeting of the special sub-committee has been convened for tomorrow by its convener and constitutional expert of the government Zahid Hamid in the Parliament House for the purpose.
Highly placed official sources told The News here Sunday that most of the task for electoral reforms has been completed as draft for the rules and act for the legislation purpose have been choreographed. The sources said that voting through biometric system is yet another significant subject that is being considered in the reforms committee. For the purpose State Minister for Information Technology Anusha Rehman Ahmad Khan and Chairman National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) Usman Yousaf Mobeen have been assigned to submit their input on the question. Both will present their reports in the sub-committee meeting. The sources pointed out that Anusha Rehman has examined the process and possibility of putting in place the system extensively as she will brief the sub-committee about the stakeholders’ feedback regarding the new system. She has covered much ground on the subject, the sources added. The sources are of the view that the final recommendations of the committee would see the daylight early next year as committee members are not interested to complete the task in undue hurry although it has already encroached the deadline assigned to it. The committee has done its whole work in consensus so far, the sources reminded.