ECP, NADRA initiate I-Voting Solution for overseas Pakistanis

Task force is to submit a report along with recommendations for current system

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday announced the initiation of the "I-Voting Solution" proposed by National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and announced members of the task force auditing the programme.

The task force is to technically assess the web-based automated system of the Internet Voting for eligible Pakistani voters living abroad having the National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) and a valid machine-readable Pakistani passport.



The task force is to submit a report along with recommendations for the current system. The team includes Muhammad Manshad Satti, Chief Executive Officer of IT-Butler, Dubai, Mr Muhammad Arshad, Director-General of the ECP, Umer Saif, Chairman Punjab Information Technology Board, Shahbaz Khan Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Information Technology board, Professor Syed Taha Ali, from NUST, a representative each from LUMS and IBA.

Earlier this month, a preliminary software was developed to extend electronic voting facility to overseas Pakistanis in general elections, NADRA informed the top court.

A team of NADRA headed by its chairman Usman Y Mobin gave a detailed presentation to the Chief Justice of Pakistan and judges, Justice Umer Ata Bandial and Justice Ijazul Ahsan at the Supreme Court during the hearing regarding the right of vote to overseas Pakistanis.



The team apprised the bench about the way forward to empower overseas Pakistanis with the ability to cast their vote through the internet.