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| October 5, 2005 | Wednesday | Sha’aban 30, 1426 |
Nadra offers e-polls, car tracking system: Eliminating bogus votes
ISLAMABAD, Oct 4: National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) can provide an electronic system to the Election Commission of Pakistan for ensuring transparency in the 2007 general elections by eliminating bogus voting, Nadra’s chairman Brig (retired) Saleem Ahmed Moeen told Dawn on Tuesday.
“So far, the Election Commission has not desired to have the system to hold electronic elections but we can provide the system whenever required,” said chairman Nadra.
Under the e-election system no other document would be required except the voter’s Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) which would just have to be swiped to cast a vote.
E-election system was being used in many countries, including India, where polls were held in phases, the Nadra chief said.
“Electronic polls cannot be held simultaneously in each and every part of the country because holding of e-polls in one day requires bulks of equipment and staff to operate them,” he said.
Brig Moeen said because of the features built in the CNIC the e-system would not let anyone cast his or her vote twice.
“If a person is a voter in Karachi he or she cannot cast vote in Hyderabad because when the CNIC of the voter is matched the first digit of the card shows city of the card holder, second and third digits represent district and the fourth and fifth town or Tehsil,” he explained.
Asked about the expenses on holding electronic elections, he said: “They would not only be more transparent but cost effective also. Cost is not the problem. As e-elections can’t be held in one day in the whole country, they are conducted in phases under which the entire country is split into parts and polls are held in them in phases,” the official said.
He claimed Nadra has one of the best systems in the world to hold electronic polls.
“Electronic polls were held in Venezuela recently on the basis of finger prints. For that purpose 12,000 laptop computers were purchased. But fortunately we already have complete system to hold electronic elections by using our CNIC in which finger print and photo of voter can be matched with the same available in the CNIC,” he said.
COMPUTERISED DRIVING LICENSE: Brig Moeen said Nadra has the technology to make computerised driving licenses.
He said the government of Punjab had shown interest in introducing computerised driving licenses but it dropped the plan for unknown reasons. “The cost of our computerised driving license was Rs100, whereas another firm offered to provide the same facility at cost Rs350 for each license,” he maintained.
CAR TRACKING SYSTEM: Nadra also had successfully developed a software for car tracking in the country, he said.
In this connection, Nadra has launched pilot projects in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad but unfortunately not a single province of the country is ready to get this system implemented.
Under the system cameras are installed in different places and a chip is attached with the wind screen of vehicles which helps detecting the vehicle, its registration numbers and monitoring its movement.
“We can curb terrorism, car-theft incidents and other crimes by implementing the system. But on the other hand the system would expose malpractices of police and therefore, it is being discouraged by them,” said Nadra chairman.
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