ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and the attorney general to submit para-wise comments for the introduction of electronic voting machines in the next general elections. A three-member bench of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Muhammad Sair Ali and Justice Ghulam Rabbani was hearing a petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf Chairman Imran Khan seeking direction to the ECP to introduce electronic voting machines for voting in the future general elections.
Khan himself appeared in court during the hearing. After issuing notices to all respondents, including the attorney general, the court adjourned the proceedings until April 20. Khan filed the petition through Hamid Khan advocate under Article 184(3) of the constitution, naming the ECP, NADRA and the federation of Pakistan, through the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs secretary, as respondents.
He prayed the court to direct the ECP to prepare fresh electoral rolls eliminating all bogus votes and introduce and incorporate the new eligible votes that could be verified from the database and record of NADRA. The petitioner requested that the ECP be directed to prepare the electoral rolls in a manner that should include the name of a voter in the electoral list of area of his address on the CNIC. He prayed the ECP be directed to include the photographs of the voters in its electoral rolls in the future.
