ECP, PCSIR trade blame over magnetic ink

Printing Corporation of Pakistan has been called to investigate the allegations of fake ballot papers

ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) have resorted to shifting blame on each other over the use of Magnetic Ink which was used for thumb impressions of voters during the elections. The use of the ink became a key issue after polls as it was unable to help in verification of votes.

During a meeting of the parliamentary committee on electoral reforms at the Parliament House on Friday, officials from PCSIR gave a briefing about the ink used.

“The Pakistan Council of scientific and Industrial Research, gave detailed presentation to the meeting about Magnetic ink and the indelible ink used by the election staff. PCSIR was only responsible for
producing the magnetic ink pads, which were handed over to ECP and ECP which was responsible for transportation to the destinations,” an official handout of the in-camera briefing read.

Headed by Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, the parliamentary committee held its sixth meeting at the Parliament House on Friday where it had summoned officials of ECP, PCSIR and National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to explain about the quality of the ink used.

The ink, with some special properties, was supposed to make the thumb impression easily readable through database of NADRA in case any verification was required. Subsequently, on the directions of post-election tribunals, NADRA was asked to verify authenticity of voters of some constituencies where opponents challenged polls results.

In most cases, NADRA reported that it could not verify votes because of bad thumb impressions, raising the questions over the quality of ink.

However, the NADRA representative reiterated his organisation’s stance that NADRA’s software may not be able to “read” a thumb impression because of lack of clarity in the print but that does not mean the voter is not verifiable. A voter’s identity is established when he produces his CNIC to cast his vote and this is the actual legal requirement, he added.

The committee also questioned if training was an issue and that lack of proper training of the election staff had led to improper use of magnetic ink pad and indelible inks.

On a question whether the issue verification of the thumb impressions is of such vital nature that the whole election process could be called unfair or rigged on its basis alone, the Secretary ECP responded that when any voter enters the polling station his identity is confirmed by the presiding officer through checking his identity card; as long as he holds a valid identity card, he is considered a genuine voter.

“We want to get to the bottom of this issue. We want to know if it was negligence or incompetence. We have also called Printing Corporation of Pakistan in the next meeting to investigate the allegations of fake ballot papers,” a member of the committee told The Express Tribune.

The member said next the meeting has been scheduled for September 29 where all these departments have been asked to come up with facts. A unanimous decision was also taken by the committee to summon Printing Corporation of Pakistan to explain the issue of printing ballot papers at the next meeting.

The ECP has also been asked to file a detailed report on the alleged role of returning officers in rigging and if they were reporting directly to the commission.

The chair of the committee also decided that all 532 proposals/communications received so far in response to the government’s advertisement seeking suggestions for electoral reforms will also be presented and discussed in the next meeting.

Imran Khan’s PTI, on whose insistence the parliamentary committee was formed, has not attended meetings of 33-member committee comprising members from both houses of Parliament.