AGP suggests ECP put bar code on ballot papers

After the Supreme Court’s opinion of holding Senate election through secret ballot, Attorney General for Pakistan Khalid Javed Khan has suggested that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should put a bar code or serial number on the ballot paper.

“The Supreme Court has said that the Senate ballot papers should be recognisable. Now, it is up to the ECP to go for a bar code or a serial number,” the AGP said in a statement issued on Monday.

“By the grace of Allah, we got what we wanted,” the statement added.

The AGP said that the polling process must be kept a secret “but keeping it a secret after voting will end”.

Khalid added that the SC also remarked that elections should be transparent, adding that the opinion of the apex court that “secrecy of the ballot paper is not permanent” is very important.

“The ECP is bound to implement the decision of the Supreme Court in the March 3 Senate election as ignoring it would fall into the category of contempt of court.”

Under the Election Act 2017, Khalid said, the ECP is required to conceal the traceable ballot papers.

“In case of any MNA or MPA, the commission is bound to investigate and scrutinise the votes so that it can be seen that the concerned MP has not engaged in any corrupt practice in the use of votes.”

Talking to a private news channel, the AGP said that the Senate Election Amendment Ordinance 2021 has been revoked following the opinion of the SC.

Terming it a “historic” decision, he said the government has welcomed it.

The AGP said that the court had asked to use technology in the election. (With input from news desk)