ISLAMABAD - Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has demanded the government immediately introduce the electoral reforms in the light of the recommendations presented by Election Commission of Pakistan Secretary Ishtiak Ahmad Khan to the Electoral Reforms Committee of Parliament.
The ECP has advised the government to make amendments in Article 224 to introduce biometric system e-voting machine. It has also recommended allowing expatriate Pakistanis to vote in the elections. The ECP has recommended extension in the time period between dissolution of assemblies and elections from 30 days to 40 days.
Census should also be declared mandatory and constituencies redefined before the next general elections, the ECP has recommended. The document suggests that the ECP should be authorised to issue final polling scheme 60 days prior to the elections and polling staff given maximum authority.
The ECP has also suggested that the reserved seats in the parliament should be awarded according to the number of votes received by a party instead of number of seats won by it.