ECP decides to probe RTS failure during 2018 polls

ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to conduct a thorough probe into the failure of the result transmission system (RTS) during general elections 2018, ARY NEWS reported.

The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by chief election commissioner and attended by National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) officials.

The ECP expressed its resentment on NADRA officials over failure of the RTS system during general elections 2018.

“The reasons behind the collapse of the RTS system should be unveiled in order to sort them out before the next polls,” the commission said.

During the meeting, the issue pertaining to providing data of new national identity card (NIC) holders to the ECP was also raised with the NADRA officials.

The NADRA officials refuse to provide the data of fresh NICs free of cost and demanded of the election body to pay an amount in return of it.

The ECP officials were of the view that the NADRA was bound to provide data to the commission, however the NADRA officials claimed that they are an independent institution and no payment is being made from the government to it for its services.

“The process will not only include of transfer of data from NADRA but also hardwork of the employees performing the job,” the authority’s officials said.

The ECP decided to mull over the matter and find a way out to resolve it.

It is pertinent to mention here that last minute complications in the ECP’s RTS system aimed at transferring results from polling booth to the election body’s headquarters raised severe reservations from the opposition parties at the time of general election 2018 that saw Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) emerging as the leading party.