Senate panel rejects bills of EVMs, I-voting
The Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs on Friday rejected two key bills related to the use of Electronic Voting Machines in elections and the right to overseas Pakistanis in polls through I-voting, reported Aaj News.
The comittee members under the chairmanship of Senator Taj Haider met fourth time during the last five days. Today, they had to vote on the two bills.
During the course of the meeting, Senator Azam Swati accused the Election Commission of Pakistan of poll riggings in the past elections, saying the body “took money” and it should be “eliminated from the Constitution.”
He further added the authority to hold general elections should be given to the ruling party through amendment in the Constitution.
On the comments of the federal minister, the officials of ECP walked out in protest.
Pakistan Peoples Party Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar objected on Swati’s comments, saying he couldn't accuse a constitutional body of taking bribes and asked for proof.
The chief election commissioner has convened an emergency meeting on Monday over the allegations of the federal minister.
Earlier, the ECP rejected the proposal of using the EVMs and raised 37 objections in the bill, stating that the machines couldn’t stop poll riggings and had no procedure to submit evidences in case of conflict.
During the panel meeting, the governemnt representatives also walked out in protest as the committee chairman announced to conduct votings on the bills.
Swati said the governemnt member of the committe Samina Mumtaz should be called in the meeting who was in the Parliament lodges as she was not feeling well.
Haider rejected the idea saying the votes of only those members would be counted who were present in the meeting.
In protest the government members walked out from the meeting.
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