National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) Chairman Usman Mobin is set to apprise the Supreme Court on Monday of “non-technical challenges” and the minimum time required to develop an integrated internet voting system to enable overseas Pakistanis to cast their votes in the upcoming general elections. During the last hearing of the petitions seeking the right of vote for overseas Pakistanis, the Nadra chairman had tried to make a presentation before a SC bench, headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, on the internet voting system, but at the outset he was intercepted by the chief justice when he sought a five-month time for developing the system. … Nadra spokesman Faik Ali, when contacted, said that after the court’s directive a Nadra team headed by the chairman held meetings with the ECP officials to discuss modalities, time frame and non-technical challenges related to the mechanism. He said the Nadra chairman would apprise the Supreme Court of the outcome of these meetings on Monday.
When asked to explain the non-technical challenges, Mr Ali said that some “risks” were involved in implementing the system as it would be a huge exercise since there were more than seven million overseas Pakistanis living in different countries.
He said there was a need to take all stakeholders on board on the “risk factors”, including impersonation and hacking, to avoid any imminent controversy.
The spokesman said that a three-tier internet voting system would be prepared for the purpose at a cost of Rs150 million.
Full Article: SC to learn about ‘challenges’ in framing system for overseas voters – Pakistan – DAWN.COM.
