Summary Biometric system will be implemented through legislation, ECP sources tell Dunya News
ISLAMABAD: (Dunya News) – Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to get Returning Officers (ROs) from bureaucracy in future elections, Dunya News has learnt from its sources. A high level meeting of the ECP was held today (Friday) in Islamabad and was presided over by Interim Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan (CECP) Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali. It was decided in this meeting that ECP will get ROs from bureaucracy in future elections.
Meeting was told that judiciary has refused to provide judicial officers for NA-149 by-election in Multan. Judiciary has stated that judicial officers were provided for Election 2013 under 2009 judicial policy but now these services cannot be provided. For NA-149, Election Commission has positioned Regional Election Commissioner as the Returning Officer. However, the total number of regional election commissioners is about 200 while in General Elections, around 1200 – 1500 returning officers are required. Demanding staff from bureaucracy is the only available option, therefore.
According to the ECP, holding elections under biometric system in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KPK) requires legislation. ECP has directed the KPK officials to make arrangements at the earliest for biometric system. Report by Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) on magnetic ink was presented in the meeting. Report tells that 4500 pads were prepared for magnetic ink at a cost of Rs. 90 million. Sources told Dunya News that nobody was ready to take the responsibility of magnetic ink. ECP says that magnetic ink’s idea was given by NADRA. NADRA says that PCSIR was responsible for preparing magnetic ink while PCSIR maintains that NADRA had approved magnetic ink.
