ISLAMABAD: Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz on Monday said that the upcoming local government (LG) elections in the federal capital would be held using the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

“The government was cooperating with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) regarding the use of the EVMs,” he said while addressing a news conference in the capital.

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The federal minister said that the commission would be provided with the machines next week for testing and training of staff.

The ECP had also asked the Punjab government to make arrangements for using EVMs in the LG elections, he added.

According to Faraz, EVMs in LG elections would ensure that the general elections were possible through those machines. He said it would also eradicate the thappa mafia. 

It had always been the effort of Prime Minister Imran Khan to ensure free, fair and impartial elections, and those objectives would be achieved through the EVMs, Faraz continued.

To a question, the minister for science and technology said that a mechanism was also being evolved for e-voting to enable the overseas Pakistanis to exercise their right to franchise.

He said that if the opposition had any reservations over the EVMs, it should discuss it with the government, avoiding opposition for the sake of opposition. He said Islamabad’s local government elections would be held in mid-April.

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“The voting machines could be used in the Punjab local bodies elections as well, and the ECP could take help from any institution in this regard. He said the ministry of science was fully cooperating with the election regulatory body,” he said.

Shibli Faraz said elections through EVMs were going to become a reality now. No vote would be wasted through EVMs, he maintained.