Haste makes waste

It seems that the government threw all caution to the wind when three of its ministers held a press conference criticising the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the chief election commissioner (CEC). They accused the EC of having taken money and of being pro-opposition. The fact is the EC, all the political parties, and the civil society are all against the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the upcoming 2023 general elections.

The haste and the persistence of the government to use EVMs in the elections only creates more suspicion in everyone’s mind. In an atmosphere where there are already question marks on the fairness of the 2018 polls, such an attitude from the government will only make the 2023 polls controversial before they are even held.

Akbar Jan Marwat

Islamabad