Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja said on Wednesday that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) faced “unwarranted criticism” for allegedly opposing the use of electronic voting machines and balloting rights for overseas Pakistanis, claiming that the electoral watchdog was never opposed to them as was “widely propagated.”
The ECP chief’s remarks are in response to criticism from the PTI, particularly its chief Imran Khan, who has repeatedly called out the commission for allegedly sabotaging the implementation of EVMs in support of his political rivals a claim the commission denies.
“I challenge all critics to show one instance where the ECP opposed electronic voting machines or voting rights for overseas Pakistanis, but there should be a procedure,” he said during his address in Islamabad, adding that one should avoid raising slogans in support of EVMs without considering the overall mechanism, which would eventually make the entire election process “suspicious.”
He stated that local government elections in Punjab will be held in the last week of April. “We are conducting de-limitations again, and the provincial government has been asked to ensure that polls are held on time.”
Raja stated that the ECP had already informed the Punjab government that if the administration attempted to amend the local government law again, the commission would invoke previous laws under Article 283 of the Constitution.
He emphasised that the commission supports the use of technology in elections, but that it must be supported by all stakeholders.
He went on to say that in 2020-21 and 2021-22, by-elections for 17 National Assembly seats and 34 Punjab Assembly seats were held. “35 by-elections were won by the opposition and 16 by the government, demonstrating the transparency of the electoral process,” he added.
The ECP chief blamed the Punjab government for the delay in LG elections due to repeated legislative changes. “Delimitations will take at least three to four months.”
Raja stated that the ECP was also not provided with funds during the [by-elections], adding that some funds were released later while many were still in the pipeline.
He emphasised the importance of local government elections in the country.
He stated that the federal government had been informed that the ECP would require seven to eight months for delimitations. “We are confident that once the census is completed, we will be ready to hold general elections.”
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