‘Limit The Role Of Money In Election To Stop Rigging’

‘Limit The Role Of Money In Election To Stop Rigging’
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) must limit the role of money during electioneering and reduce the size of constituencies via new delimitations if it wants to ensure the free and fair elections in the country.

The remarks were made by senior journalist Mohammad Ziauddin during a web show, Khabar Sy Aagy, on Naya Daur. He was joined by PILDAT President Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, former NADRA chairman Tariq Malik, human rights activist and journalist Marvi Sirmed, senior journalist Murtaza Solangi, and analyst Fauzia Yazdani.

PILDAT President Ahmed Bilal Mehboob said that there have been many electoral reforms over the past few years, now it's time to implement them. "What we need is a commitment to have free and fair elections," he added.

In a comment on the alleged rigging in the lead up to the polls, senior journalist Murtaza Solangi said the entire election process was an exercise to remove the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz from the picture.

Former NADRA chairman Tariq Malik said that the political parties don't allow technocrats to come forward. "Why have they done nothing during the last two years to fix the RTS? Parliament should take steps to rectify the failures of technology that occurred during last general elections," he added, referring to the collapse of the ECP's online system.

Fauzia Yazdani said 3G doesn't work in Balochistan. "Only PTCL devices were given to the workers on ground. The system was destined to implode, and they knew it would," she said while referring to the delay in polling results in 2018.