MQM-P seeks guarantee on EVMs from premier

Asks for more time to deliberate on electronic voting machine bill

ISLAMABAD:

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has expressed concerns over the government’s briefing to it on the electronic voting machine (EVM) and sought a guarantee from the premier that the elections would be held in “fair and transparent manner” after the introduction of the gadget.

According to government sources, MQM-P convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui in a meeting at the PM House asked Prime Minister Imran Khan whether the latter could assure them that there would be no rigging after the polls are held through EVMs in Sindh.

“The elections will not be held if the EVM system fails on the polling day,” Siddiqui said.

Siddiqui complained that the government did not fulfill the provinces it had made with the MQM adding that the incumbent regime only approached them when the issue of legislation arose.

MQM-P requested more time from the premier to deliberate on the EVM bill. The party will inform the government about its decision on the matter on Tuesday (today).

The joint sitting of parliament was also rescheduled to November 17 (Wednesday) from November 16 due to MQM-P reservations.

Earlier, the government ministers met with a delegation of the MQM-P where the party was given a briefing on the EVM.

The party also raised the concerns of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on the use of EVMs with Kanwar Jamil asking whether the election supervisor would hold polls through electronic machines after legislation.

Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz replied that the consent of ECP on EVMs was constitutionally not required after legislation on the matter.

Responding to the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) on the reservations with the government, MQM-P maintained that they held a “separate political entity” and would take decisions on their own.