EVMs can be tampered with to change election results: Ahsan Iqbal

Taking exception to the "hasty passage" of the electronic voting machines (EVM) bill in the joint parliamentary joint session a day ago, PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday warned that EVMs could be tampered with to manipulate election results.

"Polling results can be doctored through changing a chip in EVMs and that is the reason most countries have discarded these machines," said Iqbal, while talking to media in Islamabad.

Iqbal's remarks come a day after the parliament's joint session approved 33 bills including the contentious Elections (Second Amendment) Bill, 2021, which paved the way for the use of EVMs in the next general elections. The legislation drew strong criticism from the opposition, which claimed that the government was introducing electronic machines to doctor poll results for its own mileage.

Flanked by PPP's Sherry Rehman and other lawmakers, Iqbal said the opposition believed the judiciary would uphold the Constitution of Pakistan.

The PML-N leader said Nov 17 would be remembered as the darkest day in the history of Pakistan, adding that the opposition would have to take the "parliament issue" to the court.

"The government made the entire electoral process controversial through legislation disputed by other members of the House," he said, adding that the government neglected the Election Commission of Pakistan which was a major stakeholder in the election process.

He also accused the government of attempting to take control of all election arrangements in their hands.

Iqbal said a foundation had been laid to rig the next elections.

Iqbal, quoting "information" given to his party, said that the Nadra chairman was allegedly using organisational resources and data for the government's campaign for the upcoming elections.

"If Nadra is found leaking national data to the government, they will be liable to face treason charges."

Reprimanding the government for its insistence to employ technology in conducting elections, the PML-N leader said Pakistan was a "beggar" in technology and Germany was the "king" of it.

"The Supreme Court in Germany termed that EVMs cannot keep the secrecy of people's vote and hence declared it unconstitutional," explained Iqbal.

He insisted that elections could only be held under laws agreed to by all stakeholders concerned. "If the government takes any step unilaterally, it will be against the [spirit of] fair and transparent polls."

Speaking on the occasion, Sherry Rehman fired a broadside at the government, saying the treasury benches trampled democratic norms through its "artificial majority" and that too in the presence of the speaker.

"Whatever happened in yesterday's session was worse than martial law and the government made an attempt to rig the next elections," she added.

She said the opposition had offered to resolve differences through talks, "but the NA speaker backtracked on his word and bulldozed the session a day after writing a letter to the opposition."

Rehman said the use of EVMs had been rejected the world over and countries like Germany Italy, US had all discarded it.

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Pakistan condemns extra-judicial killings of another 5 Kashmiris in IIOJK

Pakistan on Thursday strongly condemned the extra-judicial killings of five more Kashmiris by Indian occupation forces a day earlier in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), and called on the international community to take notice of New Delhi's state-terrorism in the valley.

Five suspected Kashmiri fighters were killed in IIOJK on Wednesday, police said, as relatives of two men shot dead during an earlier security operation demanded their bodies be returned.

Clashes between Kashmiri fighters and Indian government forces have claimed the lives of at least 140 so far this year.

The five were killed during two separate search operations by government forces in Kulgam district, police said in a series of Twitter posts.

In a statement on Thursday, Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar said that Indian occupation forces have martyred at least 30 Kashmiris in "fake encounters or so-called cordon and search operations" since October 1.

"The killing spree of innocent Kashmiris perpetuated by Indian occupation forces continues with shameless impunity," he said.

"It further exposes the unspeakable violence being perpetrated by the Hindutva inspired extremist BJP-RSS combine that has turned IIOJK into an inferno where no one, not even innocent civilians, professionals, women, children and elderly are safe from the state-terrorism of the occupation forces," he added.

The FO spokesman also condemned the "inhuman and callous practice" of not handing over the mortal remains of the martyred Kashmiris to their families.

“Usurping the fundamental rights of Kashmiri families by denying them the right of proper burial of martyrs further exposes the current Indian government's moral bankruptcy,” he said.

The FO spokesman said the killings of Kashmiri civilians also vindicated the irrefutable facts provided by Pakistan in a comprehensive dossier that laid bare human rights violations and war crimes committed by Indian occupation forces in IIOJK.

He called on the international community to take immediate notice of Indian state-sponsored terrorism in the occupied valley and to hold India accountable for the egregious human rights violations of the innocent Kashmiri people.

“Pakistan also urges the international community to play its role for a just and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions and wishes of the Kashmiri people for durable peace and stability in the region,” he concluded.

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Entry of PPP MNA Qadir Mandokhail banned in National Assembly

The entry of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) lawmaker Qadir Mandokhail has been banned in the National Assembly following his non-parliamentary behaviour.

The NA Speaker Asad Qadir has banned the entry of PPP MNA Qadir Mandokhail in the National Assembly’s premises. Mandokhail will face the entry ban on November 19’s session of the Lower House due to his misbehaviour during the joint parliament session yesterday.

The NA speaker took the action against Mandokhail by exercising his powers under the regulations of the joint parliament session. A letter was also issued to the PPP lawmaker by the secretary of NA’s legislation department.

A video has surfaced in which the NA speaker expressed severe outrage over the misconduct of a PPP MNA Qadir Mandokhail when he permitted the PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to address the joint parliament session yesterday.

He had warned the PPP MNA many times to remain calm and quiet during Bilawal’s speech but in response, Mandokhail could be heard challenging Qaiser to suspend him if he has the power to do it.

After the commencement of Bilawal’s speech, the PPP MNA moved away from the NA speaker’s seat.

Later, the NA speaker had asked Bilawal to take notice of the misconduct of his political party’s lawmaker with him.

 

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EVMs can be tampered with to change election results: Ahsan Iqbal

Taking exception to the "hasty passage" of the electronic voting machines (EVM) bill in the joint parliamentary joint session a day ago, PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday warned that EVMs could be tampered with to manipulate election results.

"Polling results can be doctored through changing a chip in EVMs and that is the reason most countries have discarded these machines," said Iqbal, while talking to media in Islamabad.

Iqbal's remarks come a day after the parliament's joint session approved 33 bills including the contentious Elections (Second Amendment) Bill, 2021, which paved the way for the use of EVMs in the next general elections. The legislation drew strong criticism from the opposition, which claimed that the government was introducing electronic machines to doctor poll results for its own mileage.

Flanked by PPP's Sherry Rehman and other lawmakers, Iqbal said the opposition believed the judiciary would uphold the Constitution of Pakistan.

The PML-N leader said Nov 17 would be remembered as the darkest day in the history of Pakistan, adding that the opposition would have to take the "parliament issue" to the court.

"The government made the entire electoral process controversial through legislation disputed by other members of the House," he said, adding that the government neglected the Election Commission of Pakistan which was a major stakeholder in the election process.

He also accused the government of attempting to take control of all election arrangements in their hands.

Iqbal said a foundation had been laid to rig the next elections.

Iqbal, quoting "information" given to his party, said that the Nadra chairman was allegedly using organisational resources and data for the government's campaign for the upcoming elections.

"If Nadra is found leaking national data to the government, they will be liable to face treason charges."

Reprimanding the government for its insistence to employ technology in conducting elections, the PML-N leader said Pakistan was a "beggar" in technology and Germany was the "king" of it.

"The Supreme Court in Germany termed that EVMs cannot keep the secrecy of people's vote and hence declared it unconstitutional," explained Iqbal.

He insisted that elections could only be held under laws agreed to by all stakeholders concerned. "If the government takes any step unilaterally, it will be against the [spirit of] fair and transparent polls."

Speaking on the occasion, Sherry Rehman fired a broadside at the government, saying the treasury benches trampled democratic norms through its "artificial majority" and that too in the presence of the speaker.

"Whatever happened in yesterday's session was worse than martial law and the government made an attempt to rig the next elections," she added.

She said the opposition had offered to resolve differences through talks, "but the NA speaker backtracked on his word and bulldozed the session a day after writing a letter to the opposition."

Rehman said the use of EVMs had been rejected the world over and countries like Germany Italy, US had all discarded it.

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ECP not sure about EVM use in next general elections

Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday said that the commission is not sure whether the electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be used in next general elections or not.

During a meeting of NA committee, the secretary said that it is too early to say anything about use of the machines in the election as 14 steps are to be passed before the upcoming polls if the machines are to be used. Three to four more pilot projects are required to assess the use of machines, he added.

Committee member Aliya Kamran asked how machines will be used where there is no internet connection and how will voters know how to use the machine.

On this, ECP official said that he cannot answer her questions at the moment as it is yet to bedetermined that how many machines will be used in a single polling station.

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TLP chief Saad Rizvi released from jail

Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) chief Saad Rizvi has been released from jail, a development which comes after the government had struck a secretive deal with the party last month, reported Thursday.

The TLP chief has arrived at the Rehmatul Lil Alameen Mosque following his release. He has been released after a reference, filed in the Supreme Court's federal review board for his detention, was withdrawn.
The TLP chief was taken into custody in April shortly after the federal government declared the TLP a proscribed organisation under anti-terrorism laws and launched a broad crackdown against it.

The government, following violent protests from the TLP last month, had struck a deal with the party after which, the organisation's name was removed from the First Schedule, Rizvi's name was taken out from the Fourth Schedule, and several supporters were released from jails.

A notification was issued by the Punjab Home Department last week, removing Rizvi’s name, which was added on April 16, from the list of the Fourth Schedule of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.

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ECP not sure about EVM use in next general elections

Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday said that the commission is not sure whether the electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be used in next general elections or not.

During a meeting of NA committee, the secretary said that it is too early to say anything about use of the machines in the election as 14 steps are to be passed before the upcoming polls if the machines are to be used. Three to four more pilot projects are required to assess the use of machines, he added.

Committee member Aliya Kamran asked how machines will be used where there is no internet connection and how will voters know how to use the machine.

On this, ECP official said that he cannot answer her questions at the moment as it is yet to bedetermined that how many machines will be used in a single polling station.

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