Biometric system will have to be used in general elections: Ishaq Dar
ECP officials failed to satisfy the electoral reforms committee about fairness of elections
ISLAMABAD: (Dunya News) – Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has said that biometric system will have to be used in the next general elections to ensure fairness of the process. Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) officials presented their face sheet before the Electoral Reforms Committee of the Parliament where they were unable to satisfy the members of the committee. Committee voiced concerns over publishing of extra ballot papers. The remaining 30 million ballot papers also became a question mark.
Face sheet about the General Election 2013 was presented before the committee by Secretary Election Commission Ishtiaq Ahmad. He said that elections could not be declared completely free and fair but were better compared to the past. International observers also accepted this. He told that more than 180 million ballot papers were published for the general elections and the remaining ones were submitted with the district treasury. However, he did not know about the record of those papers. He said that those alleging of rigging should prove rigging on the relevant forum.
MD Printing Corporation Azhar Hussain Shamim said that numbering ballot papers by hand raised the questions on elections. He told that ballot papers were not published from Urdu Bazar but 34 people from private sector were asked to number the ballot papers by hand.
Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said that after today’s meeting, 2013 elections did not have a base. He said that elections will be held next year, he said.
Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) Senator Farooq Nayak said that due to rigging in the elections electoral irregularities were reported on 50 percent of the seats. He said that errors must be rectified through electoral reforms.
Ishaq Dar said that next elections will have to be held under biometric system while decision about magnetic ink should be taken by the nation. Next meeting of the committee will be held on Thursday.
