E-voting not possible in upcoming general elections, SC says

The Supreme Court said on Thursday that it is impossible to incorporate an electronic voting system for the upcoming general elections 2018-19 in the country.

The bench, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, resumed hearing of a petition filed in 2012 by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan. PTI chairman asked for the removal of alleged bogus votes from the voter lists issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

During the hearing, PTI’s counsel asked for using an electronic voting system in the general elections. While Justice Nisar stated that it would be impossible to apply the electronic voting system in such a short duration as there was not much time in the next upcoming polls. He also stressed that an experimental phase to test the electronic voting system was necessary, to which the counsel for PTI suggested that the top court seek a written report from the concerned authorities.

The bench declined PTI’s appeal and ordered the registrar to fix the next hearing after general elections 2018.

Chief justice remarked:

“Social media will be stirred with a new argument on this.”

Back in 2012, the PTI chairperson had approached the Supreme Court regarding fake votes on electoral lists. The case was heard by a four-member bench of the apex court, headed by the former Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.