ISLAMABAD - Expressing its no-trust on the use of biometric voting machine, Sub-Committee of Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms has directed the officials of Election Commission of Pakistan to bring the machine in the next meeting of the committee and demonstrate its working there.
The head of sub-committee Federal Minister for Science and Technology Zahid Hamid also sought a detailed report on the working of biometric voting machine from Election Commission of Pakistan and said that if the commission gives guarantee on the efficacy of the machine then the committee would suggest formal legislation on introduction of this system of voting the elections.
The committee also discussed the political parties’ registration system and it was informed that right now there is no proper law governing the political parties’ registration mechanism.
The committee directed the officials of Election Commission to come up with a report on the subject too so that proper legislation could be done for regularising the political parties’ registration with the commission.
Giving briefing to the members on the working of biometric voting machines the officials of Election Commission of Pakistan informed that the machine could check the bogus or fake identity cards and it could effectively control bogus voting.
A member of the committee raised the point that in case there are over 50 candidates contesting from some constituency then the biometric machine would contain over 50 buttons then how the voters could identify which button to be pressed to cast vote for the candidate of their choice.
The committee head also asked the Election Commission officials to submit the report on the cost to be incurred on introducing the biometric system in the country.