Cabinet approves ordinances on EVM use, overseas voting rights  

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Technology Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday announced that the federal cabinet has approved two ordinances regarding the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voting rights for overseas Pakistanis, ARY NEWS reported.

Sharing details regarding decisions taken during the cabinet meeting headed by PM Imran Khan in a presser, Fawad Chaudhry said that through an ordinance the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has been authorized to use EVM.

“Another ordinance has given the ECP authority regarding voting rights for the overseas Pakistanis,” the information minister said while lamenting that certain people do not know the powers rested with the Parliament.

He said that the government has fulfilled its responsibility regarding legislation on the matter. “Technological work is to be done on biometric and e-voting,” he said adding that they have appointed a consultant to finalize recommendations in this regard.

He said that after the ordinance, it is upto the ECP to include overseas Pakistanis in the voting process.

The meeting has also granted succession certificate facility to overseas Pakistanis besides also giving nod to issuing a commemorative coin on 100 years of establishment of NED University.

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Fawad Chaudhry further said that a supreme coordination council is being established between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to enhance cooperation between the two countries. “We have signed a key MoU with Saudis on climate change that will help employment of Pakistani labour in the kingdom,” he said.

Furthermore commenting on the ECP decision on by-poll in NA-249 regarding the recount of votes, Fawad Chaudhry said that extreme rigging was carried out in the by-poll and there was no justification for a recount. “The PTI demands a re-poll in the constituency,” he said.