I-voting controversy: NADRA chief says ECP response could possibly be attributable to ‘misunderstanding’

The NADRA head was responding to media queries on the Pakistan Embassy in Washington.

The ECP had taken robust discover of the tone adopted in a letter penned by the NADRA chairman to the electoral physique.

“The Election Fee is a constitutional physique and we aren’t ordering them. They’ll reprimand us,” Malik mentioned.

He mentioned that this could possibly be a results of a misunderstanding as they ready a technique and shared a undertaking plan on the ECP’s directives.

“The ECP gave a go forward verbally after which the IT division sought permission. Technical individuals speak in technical phrases and that could possibly be the rationale of a misunderstanding between the 2 state establishments.”

Malik mentioned he would clear the matter when he returns to the nation and added: “We had been cooperating with one another extensively.”

‘ECP not a subordinate of NADRA’

On Thursday, it was reported that the ECP regretted the tone adopted by NADRA Chairperson Tariq Malik in a latest letter penned in regards to the progress on the i-voting system.

Malik, within the letter to the electoral physique, asking it to make progress on the proposed system on i-voting.

The ECP, responding to the letter, said that it’s the duty of the fee to work on the brand new electoral system, however the tone adopted within the letter by NADRA is regrettable.

“The letter appeared like ECP is a subordinate of NADRA,” the letter learn and added that the language utilized by the NADRA chairperson made it appear to be he was giving orders to the ECP.

The ECP requested why NADRA is on the lookout for a brand new settlement of Rs2.4 billion for the i-voting undertaking. Why did NADRA abandon the sooner undertaking initiated for i-voting within the nation within the center even after spending Rs65.5 million, the ECP requested.

NADRA’s clarification

In response to ECP’s outburst, NADRA officers disclosed that the i-voting system earlier used was developed to be piloted by ECP in 4x by-elections for 38x constituencies in 2018.

It was ECP’s personal determination to make use of it solely in 2x by-elections in 2018. Throughout that train, the position of NADRA was to offer technical help to ECP, whereas utilizing the i-voting system was the only real discretion of the fee.

The i-voting system is already in place and at present within the custody of ECP. As per contractual obligations, the ECP was presupposed to launch the lengthy excellent Rs28.5 million to NADRA.

In a bid to make sure accountability and transparency, NADRA’s chairperson had proposed a technique and plan for a brand new i-voting system as per pointers laid down by the Pakistan authorities, the federal cupboard, President of Pakistan, ECP, parliamentary committee, worldwide auditors and different stakeholders.

Via the brand new proposed system, NADRA will help the ECP to develop its impartial infrastructure and information centre with devoted servers, non-NADRA Dependent Community, third occasion software program and human useful resource capability constructing.

The Election Fee will likely be impartial of conducting i-voting for abroad Pakistanis. NADRA’s servers and computer systems is not going to be used on this system.

NADRA has urged the ECP to progress positively on the proposed system with a view to assembly the undertaking plan timelines as per the expectations of all stakeholders.