Opposition parties opposing EVMs’ use to avert transparent polls: Shibli Faraz

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz on Sunday said the opposition parties were opposing the usage of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in elections because they did not want transparency in the election process.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan had invited the opposition parties to sit together for bringing electoral reforms but they refused,” he said talking to a private news channel, Radio Pakistan reported.

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The minister said the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) government was fully committed to eradicate the menace of corruption from society and no compromise would be made over the matter.

He said corruption was the real cause of all economic problems of the country.

Shibli Faraz said the government was focusing to enhance working capacity of institutions and paying proper attention to different sectors.

On December 2, the minister for science and technology had said after signing of the Electoral Reforms Bill, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would now float tenders to choose the EVM for general elections.

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Addressing the ceremony of signing of the Electoral Reforms Bill 2021, in Islamabad, he had said the election commission had already constituted three committees, including a technical committee to float the international tenders in the given timeline.

Shibli Faraz had said the government had taken bold decisions and Prime Minister Imran Khan was confident from day one that elections of 2023 would be conducted through the EVMs.