Why ECP Row With NADRA on Internet Voting Matters?
ECP regretted the tone adopted by NADRA Chairman Tariq Malik, saying it shows that he is giving orders to electoral body
Before the next general elections, the matter of the internet voting system (IVS) has put Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) on the warpath.
In a recent letter, ECP has regretted the tone adopted by NADRA Chairman Tariq Malik in regards to the internet voting system.
Tariq Malik had written a letter to the country’s supreme electoral body and asked it to progress with elections on the proposed system.
Responding to him, the commission stated that it is the responsibility of the ECP to work on the new system but the tone adopted in the letter by NADRA is regrettable as it shows that he is giving orders to the electoral body.
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Taking notice of ECP’s reply, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) Shahbaz Gill pointed fingers at the commission.
He said the electoral body, losing cool at NADRA’s reply, is overlooking the way its 18-19 grade employee is addressing the chairman of another institution.
ہر ایک بات پہ کہتے ہو تم کہ تو کیا ہے
تم ہی کہو یہ اندازے گفتگو کیا ہے
ECP کو نادرا کی تحریر پر بھی پرابلم ہے اورتجویز پر بھی۔ حد یہ ہے کہ جو ادارہ دوسرےکو تمیز تہزیب سیکھا رہا ہے اسی کا ایک گریڈ 18 یا 19 کا ڈائریکٹر دوسرے معتبر سرکاری ادارے کے چئیرمین کو کس طرح مخاطب کررہا ہے pic.twitter.com/tHEsieIvY5
— Dr. Shahbaz GiLL (@SHABAZGIL) September 16, 2021
Why it matters?
The legal experts have termed NADRA’s inquiry as timely and legitimate.
They said that although working on the proposed system is the responsibility of the electoral body, the database authority will have to deal with time-consuming backhand operations.
They said that it is still two years to the next general elections and the system can be backtested in the given time to treat bugs or errors in it.
Therefore, they opined that ECP should not make it an issue of tones but rather pay heed to what has been asked in NADRA’s letter.
Otherwise, if the commission tells the database authority to devise the proposed system at the eleventh hour, it could possibly have glitches and the discrepancies in the system will put the onus on NADRA.
