Attorney general, chief election commissioner discuss electoral reforms

• AGP assures CEC that government will take ECP, political parties into confidence on issue of electoral reforms.
• "The federal government acknowledges the independence of ECP," AGP tells CEC.
• CEC says ECP will support legislation passed by Parliament that ensures free and fair elections.

Attorney-General for Pakistan Khalid Jawed Khan and Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja met on Thursday to discuss the government's electoral reforms.

During the meeting, which took place at the Election Commission of Pakistan, both officials mulled over electoral reforms including the issue of voting by overseas Pakistanis and the use of electronic voting machines for the next general elections, through which the government seeks to ensure transparency.

The AGP assured the CEC that government would take the ECP, as well as political parties, into confidence on the issue of electoral reforms, and the amendments in the law would be finalised after that process, sources said.

"The federal government acknowledges and respects the independence and constitutional status of the Election Commission of Pakistan," the AGP told the CEC.

The CEC observed that the ECP would support and implement legislation passed by the Parliament that ensures the holding of free, fair, and transparent elections, sources said.

He added that the ECP supports the use of EVMs and voting for overseas Pakistanis, however, the modalities are to be worked out so that no questions are raised.

The CEC proposed that such a methodology should be put to test in the by-elections or local government elections — leaving no room for dispute at the time of general elections.

The AGP reiterated that all stakeholders, particularly the ECP would be taken into confidence in the matters relating to EVMs, voting by overseas Pakistanis, and other amendments in the Election Act, 2017.

For that purpose consultations with stakeholders would be expedited, he added.