Politicians, civil society laud EVM’s use, right of votes to overseas Pakistanis in General Elections

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PESHAWAR
People of all walks of life including politicians, civil society and lawyers here Thursday lauded allowing use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and right to vote to overseas Pakistani during General Elections and termed passage of the relevant bills by the joint session of parliament a historic legislation for establishment of an undiluted democracy in the country.
Kamran Bangash, Provincial Minister for Information and Higher Education said here that use of EVM and giving right to vote to overseas Pakistani was a real positive change and was completion of yet another promise made by the Prime Minister Imran Khan with people.
“The use of EVM is an end to the rigged tinted voting system,” he said. The Information Minister said hooliganism during the historic occasion of the joint sitting of Parliament has exposed the rigged and corruption tinted face of the opposition.
He said the right to vote was the oldest demand of overseas Pakistan that was fulfilled today by the PTI led Government. He said it would further enhance the spirit of love and affection among overseas Pakistanis with their country, adding felicitation messages were being received from overseas Pakistanis throughout the world.
Eas Khan, former Additional Advocate General KP said the use of EVM and right to votes to overseas Pakistan was a significant step in the parliamentary history of Pakistan.
He said EVM would play the role of neutral umpire in the electoral process. He said Parliament was a supreme institution, which can pass any legislation while the courts are the power to review any legislation.
Former Nazim, Bahadar Khan said the use of EVM was landmark legislation that would help bring political stability to the country. He said serious allegations of rigging were made in almost every election by unsuccessful political-religious parties in the past and fingers were raised on polling results, making democracy’s ultimate suffer.
With use of EVM, he said chances of rigging in elections would come to an end besides ensuring undiluted democracy and strengthening the democratic system in the country. “The past Governments had failed to pass EVM and right to vote to overseas legislation.”
Dr Muhammad Naeem, Professor Economics Department, University of Peshawar said Pakistan had suffered great economic and financial losses in the past after holding of repeated elections following dissolution of the national and provincial assemblies on allegations of riggings and corruption charges.
“The nation had seen in the 90s how PPP and PMLN started agitation and overthrow each others’ government on allegations of corruption and riggings in general elections,” he said, adding it was a time of technology and its best use during the election process would immensely help give credibility to election results.
He said the use of IT technology would help end the culture of spending huge financial resources on filing election petitions.