Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz has said that between 350,000 and 400,000 electronic voting machines (EVMs) are needed to ensure fairness and transparency in election and these machines will be set up in six months.
Federal Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz said that to make elections fair and transparent, between 350,000 and 400,000 electronic voting machines (EVMs) were required, which would be manufactured in six months.#Pakistan pic.twitter.com/gU117IDVIW
— Developing Pakistan (@developingpak) July 7, 2021
Shibli Faraz while expressing the wish of the Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and said that using local technology, National Science and Technology, COMSATS and the National Institute of Engineering are producing EVMs at half the price of imported equipment to avoid controversy in the electoral process.
He said that the members of the National Assembly and the Election Commission of Pakistan would activate the EVM after Eid-ul-Adha to raise awareness about its trust, its benefits, etc.
conveying the prime minister’s wish to put the controversy over the electoral process to an end.
He said that EVMs would be launched after Eidul Azha for the members of National Assembly and the Election Commission of Pakistan for vetting and to convince them of its benefits.
— Developing Pakistan (@developingpak) July 7, 2021
Shibli Faraz said that proving that the only solution to improve the electoral process is EVM, once the EVM is ready, it will be used to test the performance in the by-elections.
He explained that the three institutes have the capacity to manufacture 2,000 EVMs on a daily basis, each device is estimated at Rs. 65,000, which is half the cost of an imported device to work properly while there is no guarantee that imported device will work properly. .
A special paper will be used in these machines on which the ink will not be removed for 5 days, he stated. The counting of votes would be done at the push of a button and it could be completed in 30 minutes to an hour.
In this regard, on June 10, the Government of Pakistan announced that it has given overseas Pakistanis the right to vote in the National Assembly.
Taking to Twitter, former special assistant to the prime minister for overseas Pakistanis Zulfiqar Bukhari confirmed the news and lauded the PTI-led government, particularly Prime Minister Imran Khan, for making it possible.
“Congratulations, my people, you have every right to become part of the decision-making process in this country,” he continued.
The decision was made as part of the Election Act Amendment Bill, 2020.
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Earlier this month, Shibli Faraz had said that the introduction of electronic voting in Pakistan will eliminate manipulation, adding that the system will enable more than seven million overseas Pakistanis to cast their votes.