Pakistan Election Commission deletes tweet on EVMs after backlash from Imran Khan govt

Islamabad: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the Imran Khan government were seen bickering on the internet on Saturday (May 22) regarding the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the upcoming general elections.

Pak election commission`s tweet on EVMs drew flak from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government after the election body posted a video of a journalist on its official Twitter handle saying: "Voting machine an expensive fraud formula".

A few hours later, the ECP deleted the tweet following backlash from the ruling party leaders, accusing it of supporting the opposition parties that oppose the government`s move to introduce EVMs in the elections, The Express Tribune reported.

ECP is a constitutional body and it cannot do anything outside its ambit, said Pakistan`s Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib.

He asked the election body to explain how the controversial video was shared from its official Twitter handle when the matter of EVMs is pending to be debated in parliament.

Most big opposition parties have dismissed the electoral reform by Pakistan Prime Minister for the introduction of EVMs.

Despite Imran Khan`s stress on EVMs, the opposition has argued that anything that is controlled and operated by others and can be used to manipulate electoral results is unacceptable.

Former Speaker Pakistan and PML-N leader Sardar Ayaz Sadiq had stated last month that the countries where EVMs have been tried and tested have either already reverted to paper ballots or are going back to the old system for different reasons.