That is the way forward. This is great and I am glad who ever is sitting in this committee . PTI refused to sit in this committee even though they were invited. But they have a different Philosophy and that is a short cut to power using pressure of the innocent youth that will wake up the day after and find out they are the same lot. These Container people who are forcing the people in the Dharana to stay and live under deplorable situations are having lunch every day in Kosar Market in expensive restaurants. If they had and moral feeling and were fighting a real revolution than they would be with them. But they are intact steeling the very sole of the people by confusing them and given them false hope that once they come every thing will be well. Look at the Hong Kong demonstrations. no musical party. No leader as every one is the leader and every one is treated the same way. IK is not a man of revolution is too cosmetic himself and it is all about him at the end of the day

In Pakistan, the success for the supremacy of the Rule of Law is measured in small steps. It will take a long time for the culture to change where the respect for the law gets ingrained in the psyche of the people of Pakistan. Hopefully, the electronic voting system will help get fair and unblemished representation of the people in the Parliament.

Once electronic voting is in place, it will be a huge step forward in having free and fair elections. Thank you true opposition sitting outside the parliament.

I don't trust they actually will introduced this technology before next election. And by the way there is very little time left in next election because of the protests.

This is the proper way to fix things... not create a mess in the whole country to prove your point. PTI will win next elections but they are.getting anxious to take over the government today. And one last thing, respect goes both ways... if PTI will resp

DR. KWADWO Afari-Gyan, Chairman of the Electoral Commission, said the 2012 elections in Ghana encountered several logistical and technical challenges because of the introduction of the biometric registration machine. Sharing Ghana’s experience on the use of biometric registration in election 2012, Dr. Afari-Gyan said the adoption of the biometric machine in the elections was to help ensure free and fair election. It was also to help eliminate multiple registrations, impersonation, as well as minimise the incidence of fraudulent malpractices in the 216 districts that Ghana had at the time. Dr. Afari-Gyan, also the Executive Secretary of the Association of African Election Administrators (AAEA), was speaking at an ongoing conference on the Application and Sustainability of Biometric Technology in Election Management in Africa, being held in Accra. He said there were challenges such as the breakdown of registration machines that led to the loss of data, as well as operators entering wrong keys and giving several print commands leading to multiple printing. The use of wrong codes by machine operators and other logistical challenges; including transportation problems, difficulty in locating registration centres, shortfalls of registration materials and lack of funds to buy fuel for generators to power the biometric machines were other difficulties that came with the introduction of the system. The three-day conference is being attended by election administrators in African countries that use biometric registration in elections, who would share experiences and chart the way forward in improving biometric registration in elections. Dr. Afari-Gyan said from the experience in Ghana, the introduction of the biometric machine in the voting process of elections was not the absolute answer to all election problems.

The big political alligators would make the electronic machines useless, like ECP itself, when they would be needed to work!

I am afraid if these members of ECP continue they will buy fake electronic machines like thy bought fake ink and fake paper. First do investigation to those frauds.

The hardship of Imran is bearing fruits now. Months before the same ECP were saying it is not possible to introduce electronic voting machine in near future, how that changed in days. Keep up Imran, you are the sure winner.

another fraud and delay tactics of ECP. shame on these brainless and corrupt people.

No matter what changes the present ECP will bring but they still be involved in mass rigging like last time.

Somebody reminded ECP that we are living in 21st century. Finally something good coming out of all the tamasha.

See Pakistan...the things that can be accomplished just by standing and supporting the right leader...

why do you have to have 150,000 machines? Why can't you do the whole elections in stages and buy 1/4th of the machines ?

Another big scam in Pakistan. The EVM in India costs about 5500 INR which probably be around 9000 PKR.Now ECP trying to buy the machine at cost of almost 30000 PKR , thrice the price of Indian EVM. God help Pakistanis.If Pakistan buy EVM from India, it would be saving about 21000 per machine which would mean 150000X21000= 3150000000 PKR saving as per the estimated requirement of ECP.

why magnetic ink is required??????????for years and years how the thumb impression worked on marriage certificates or land ownership documents-------------they are just fooling people and saving corrupt politicians.

@Javeed PTI refused to sit in that committee so they did not contribute to make the changes. That would have been an effective way forward to be part of it instead fooling the large majority in false hope for their future. The container people are not part of the crowd. They are VIP having lunch at Kosar Market not with their supporters. Look at Hong kong demonstrators no leader everyone is a leader and they will bring the real change. Here we are just robbing our poor of their sole as well.

You can keep on changing the machines or adding ----- nothing matters until ECP itself is fired and honest people are hired.

Finally. This should have been done a long time ago.

What about the terrible infrastructure? You won't be able to vote because their is no electricity or the internet connection is down. Some areas don't even have internet access. NADRA's verification system works over the net so internet access is essential. How will biometric verificaton work for disabled people? People with no hands at all! I guess they won't be able to vote at all. Even people with hands can't pass biometric tests because their fingerprints have worn off due to hard labour: http://tribune.com.pk/story/769411/stumbling-blocks-biometric-system-poses-major-hurdle-for-idps-in-getting-eid-package/

1- why cost of a machine is 3 lac each? It is a simple technology. Can be created locally for less than RS. 20 thousand each. Again, may beim missing the commisions & kickk backs. 2- I wounder if data collected to get mobile Sims would play a roll for next election rigging. Need to watch out, thumb impressions and other vitals are collected at corner shops.

They don't need 150000 machines at a time. They can save money if they do election one state a time. The last election procedure in India is a good example where it took a month to complete the election process.

The Election Commission itself is corrupt. Also NAB also should be under Army Control.

Buy the machine from India. It is suitable for voters country where many are illiterate. Also well tried out with all possible bugs removed.

@imPakistam : i agree. $300 per Machine is too costly. When india introduced Electronic voting machine (EVM)in 1990, its costs Rs.5500 per EVM. Ofcourse, it was manufactured locally.

Credit is goes for Imran khan if this system would be introduced.

No need to buy 150000 machines, instead 30000 machines should be bought and voting should be done in phases across the nation to minimize the cost and maximize efficiency.

This system should have introduced much before however as it said it is never to too late to mend. Now a days a biometric system is available by mobile operators on even their small vendor shops so why not ECP can introduce electronic machine with the support of biometric system but it is the only matter of intension

Any system is as good as its operators & open to misuse. Buying these machines will be a massive waste, instead they should be rented & operated / maintained through the supervision of an international authority ? UN etc otherwise it will be another failure the examples are countless (in fact there is no success story except perhaps NADRA), so better work to improve our existing system , there must be some honest competent people left among us to do this job

Rs. 4.5 Billion! WOW!

@imPakistam they cost 30000 each, as 1 dollar is approximately a hundred rupees

Elections in 2018?...Ohh...but Imran Khan wants them in next two months and Sheikh Rasheed in next two days before Eid..:)

if imran doesnot take stand then we have to go with old systems for a couple of years. I Love you IK.

Thank u Imran Khan

This is something that could have been accomplished without this whole mess going on right now. But the current mess is not about future elections but anout the 2013 elections. So, you can give Imran Khan credit for this if you want, since politicians in power right now dont want another lunatic(sorry for using such a harsh word but it is what it is)coming up after the next election and creating the same mess that IK has created this time around.

One step towards good future

@imPakistam its USD 300 or PKR 30,000 not 3 lacs per machine

It is a good start. However, I doubt that these machines will allow rigging free elections as the only authentication will be from ID cards. So, parties like X and Y will still be able to cast the votes by collecting ID cards on cheap prices. Moreover, $300 for 150,000 machines is way too high. In my opinion the project should be given to different universities to bring about a robust device

it sure will be a serious leap in to the future of electoral system of Pakistan. but what if electricity is out on the voting day. That will be serious concerns, then perhaps for 150,000 Machine they will buy 300,000 UPS or 150,000 Generators. God Bless Pakistan.

The EVM would only function if there is death penalty for shutting down the system and reverting to manual system! UNDP had provided us software for automatic compilation of results in the last elections and it was shut down to facilitate rigging. No one has been made accountable for it so far.

Good idea .. we should go ahead with this initiative

@Javeed . i agree

@Amin Ansari IK was invited to these team to bring electoral change but choose not to be part of it. He always misses out on the important places. He likes the container stage as there no one will question him what he said or what he will say in the future. Besides these container people have lunch every day in posh Kosar market restaurants. where as the poor people live on the streets in unhygienic roads. I do not understand what change he wants to bring with this attitude but than it is easy to fool the masses with his charisma. LOOK AT HONG KONG EVERY ONE IS A LEADER AS THEY ALL HAVE A COMMON CAUSE

@Amin Ansari Well done. IK. Keep pressure on the present bunch of advocates of so called democracy - really sham democracy. These so called "democrats" never bother even to hold local bodies elections for the last 6-7 years.

why two years ? get help from india and get it done now.

@Arsio Well said.

haha.. It will never happen. Mark my words. Its just a gimmick by Nawaz Shareef to avoid Mid Term Elections and drag his rule till 2018.

@pkExpat If it were not for the PTI and their protests, there wont be any talk of electronic voting!

We have done this a decade ago and each machine costs less than 20000 inr each. There is no rocket science in this. But it helps significantly in curbing the malpractices. EC here is an autonomous and very strong body.

@Javeed Thanks IK. Keep pressure on this incompetent Election Commission - collaborators of electoral fraud. It is same ECP which was saying that it is NOT possible to introduce electronic voting machines for Pakistan elections.

@imPakistam Its not 3 lakhs each its Rs. 30,000 each ($300) machine.

@Khan Well said. Why not conduct election in phases and save money to be spent.

Technology is there, it will cost to implement but this cost will be far far less then the amount annually looted by corrupt politicians, its worth investing in this technology.

we have been using since 1998 and now 100% voting is electronic. Declaration of result in less than 10 hours. Also empowering nepal kenya and fiji with our machines.

what if IK and not pti loses the next electronic elections?DHANDLI?

electronic voting at a place where most of the population is illiterate. how funny? this time dharna for rigging in polls by PMLN, PPP, JI etc against PTI

Perfect. Then now is the time for new polls. Pakistan fast heading towards elections.

QUITE IMPRESSIVE ! ECP will manage to record the biometrics and the individual data of all the voters before the next elections. Furthermore ECP will also manage to link all the electronic machines through a centralized network in order to avoid any type of rigging in the elections. Lastly the ECP will also educate the people as to "how to use the machines and vote through the system", remember a huge percentage of our population/voters even don't know how to write their names. Still a good decision in the right direction.

Dont want to spoil the broth. I am an IT professional. There is alot of checks n balances needs to be kept in mind here. The biggest challenge in IT thesw days is hacking. So status quo can put their efforts in it way before.... Security of these machine needs to be made full proof..that one jus another aspect of concern .... Other than like believing in this corrupted ECP n their fake promise. Cost. And management of such big system.

The protests have already achieved so much the biggest must be that they managed to get the PM to attend Parliament.

Buy it from India and the cost will reduce by 50%. And Indian electronic machines are reliable and successfully practiced in elections. India don’t use ballot papers now for. Take the advantage of your technically advanced neighbor. India supplies election ink and technology to many countries. Everyone knows you do what Indians done before and this is one more example.

Finally some good news for the nation! But first ECP officials need to be removed and honest people should be hired to do a wise and fair selection of Electronic voting machines. Thank you Imran Khan!

Technology is good , people will need lot of help and education before the polls . Public should be made aware of results produced in other countries which have already used this technology , mistakes made and how we can avoid those mistakes to have fair elections .

The benefit of doing things "Out of the Box". Well done protestors sitting outside of the parliament.

Not just EVM you also need phase wise elections to ensure fairness

Another fraud in making EVM used in india cost only rs. 5500

India has introduced this process decades ago. I HOPE ECP will must consult Indian counter part for some suggestion. Our machines are cheaper too.It costs around Rs 5500 only compare to 30000.

We are missing something that rigging can be done within a jiffy in electronic voting, results could be changed on the press of a button without anyone knowing. To ensure transparency in this system, at least, 2 e-audits must be conducted of these systems to prevent any loopholes.

@Furqan 150,000 multiplied by $300 is equal to $45 million (not 4.5 billion), which is not a big deal.

It looks like you people are living in a different era. Need to expedite

@pkExpat Stay away from Pakistan. PTI are trying to cleanse the country from the likes of you.

@Bharat Kumar Jaiswal Thanks for the advice Bro from India...people like you are needed in both countries to spread the goodwill...

@Asad Sultan Why don't you go and live in Saudi Arabia and get your head chopped off, as they love chopping Pakistanis heads off, without a whisper from your pathetic rulers.

Fail to understand ECP, changing statement every second day.

@Vipin Tyagi Indian machines were programmed to count 2 votes for every 1 for Modi's party, just saying!

@Bharat Kumar Jaiswal Nice suggestion

A New technology is available. Bank ATMs can be used. From any ATM, Voter need to enter his Biometrics (eye iris & finger print),& vote. No need of EVMs, Poling Staff, ... - very foolproof, absolutely no rigging, voter can vote from any part of the country. Above all very cost effective. :)

Voting fraud is not the only problem. The real problem is electorate, which no body is talking about. In the countryside, the voter is illiterate and does not vote independenly based on his own understanding. The voter votes for the candidate told to him by his local 'chaudry'. The political crooks, the candidates, have their networks. They approach the local chaudry and the chaudry orders the voter to vote for his candidate. The chaudry does that for promised favors by the candidate. In a way the votes are sold in blocks by the corrupt chaudrys. Imran is popular in cities, where voter is independent. It will be very difficult for Imran to create such a network in the countryside. It's a mess.

This EVM would be a big tool in rigging as there would be no paper trail later to verify ,unless it is not integrated with the thumb verification tagged with NADRA and that the thumb impression is verified and that person is a registered voter of that area and polling booth/station it should not proceed further to the actual casting of the vote.If we could maanage that yes we could have a fair election.

First try the EVM's in by-polls.

every effort to make proper channel was became failure when utilized them in the aim ,and expenditure which consume from nation saving was made failure lose for national people.

Very good decision.. EVMs has helped indian elections very transparent and hassle free. Its been 2 decades and number of elections in which these machines has proved their usefulness. The CEC who introduced this system Mr, M. S. Gill, also migrated from Layalpur, Pakistan. He will be most happy to help.

This will not resolve things. A full census is needed, with demarcation of constituencies, and voting lists based on accurate records. Otherwise, voting machines on their own will lead to the same accusations. And vote results should not be shared with anyone, until the full count is complete. It was a joke, in the last election, you had TV stations broadcasting count figures from voting stations as the count was in progress. This then allows, the old status quo thugs to using their tactics to change the result.

@Sunny I agree, the ECP will need Parliaments approval in the next 2 months, the report says. Now if Parliamentarians had to vote a pay and perks increases for themselves they would do it in 2 minutes. But electoral reform of this nature, it won't happen. We heard this with the previous government. It never happened with them either.

If elections could be organized in Phases then there is no need to buy 150,000 biometric macines. I believe 40k-50k machines would be enough to conduct the elections nation wide. Look at India and Iran they too organize elections in multiple phases.

Lahore Metro Bus Project was worth PKR 29.8 bio (USD 298 mio), EVM would cost Pakistan PKR 4.5 bio (USD 45 mio). Priorities this present government has baffles an ordinary mind.

@Tahir and @Khan, you guys are right. @imPakistam also has a valid point "Why buying the machines? why not manufacture inside the country." There isn't any Rocket-science involved here. Undergraduate students from electronics/electrical or computer engineering could built such machine as their Bachelor Thesis set aside some established companies or vendors.

ECP is a joke. Why it should take 2 years to implement this. This should have been done yesterday. Who is making all the policy decisions in ECP anyway? There is no Chairman since Fakhro bhai resigned.

First find those who rigged the last election. Apply article 6 on them and make a horrible example to act as a deterrence for future. No system can be fool proof if those who are entrusted with it can manipulate it. Only by the fear of punishment, the next election can be done in a fair and just manner.

The sudden enthusiasm of ECP for voting machine must be predicated on the ability to give the contract to a "suitable" vendor who will rig the software to make every second vote count for Non League. It will be even easier to rig the elections if the current ECP is in-charge and there is no independent oversight monitored by all political parties!

They didn't mention biometric verification of the voter. If this machine just counts the voted automatically, it is useless. If a new system is installed, it must ensure biometric verification of the voter as well. This is much needed step, i think these machines should also be used in the local body elections as well.

This is a step in the right direction. All those registered with NADRA should be able to take part in the election. The system should automatically verify each voter so as to eliminate ghost voters, double voting or voting in place of other.

about damn time!