EVM won’t be used in next general elections

The National Assembly passed a bill on Thursday to repeal the previous government’s election changes, which allowed expats to vote via I-Voting and electronic voting machines (EVMs).

In the National Assembly, the Election Amendment Bill 2022 was introduced. Murtaza Javed Abbasi, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, introduced the bill.

On November 17, 2021, the National Assembly passed a measure providing abroad Pakistanis the ability to vote in general elections using a voting technology proposed by the PTI government.

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Federal Minister of Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar stated it is “impossible” to hold elections using EVMs in a single day during the NA session.

He added that the Pakistani Election Commission (ECP) had indicated its inability to run elections using I-Voting and EVMs in a short period of time and without appropriate preparation.

He stated that two amendments to the Elections Act 2017 are being proposed, allowing the ECP to ensure free, fair, and transparent elections.

The minister refuted claims that the legislation is intended to deny expatriate Pakistanis the right to vote.