Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Wednesday that only those elements who were benefitting from a corrupt system were against the utilization of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and had vested interests in resisting change in Pakistan.
The premier made these remarks at a ceremony held in Islamabad to mark the signing of performance agreements between him and federal ministers.
He said that his government had an excellent opportunity to prove that they might perform well as “we face all mafia, [and] all [those with] with vested interests and don’t want [a positive] change during this country are opposing us.”
“They are even opposing EVMs,” the premier said, asking what benefit would the machines be to the govt and the ruling party.
He acknowledged that nearly every election within the country had been controversial, but none of the parties who had formed the govt had ever worked towards an answer for the matter.
“After the 1970s, anyone who loses in an election makes allegations of rigging,” he said. “And we are introducing a system (EVMs) that would solve all of Pakistan’s problems.”
He added, “Who are these people that are opposing [EVMs] … Realise that it a little fraction with vested interests which has benefitted from a corrupt system that’s opposing this”.
The prime minister’s remarks follow a longstanding dispute between the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)-led government and therefore the opposition and committee of Pakistan (ECP) over the utilization of EVMs.
While the govt has been insisting on the utilization of EVMs within the next general elections, maintaining that the move would ensure transparency and free and fair elections, the opposition has rejected the proposal.
The opposition has particularly taken exception to the proposal over not being consulted on the matter and therefore the government bulldozing the legislation for the utilization of EVMs within the National Assembly, despite the former’s protest.
The ECP, meanwhile, has raised 37 objections to the proposed introduction of EVMs. it’s warned that the machine is tampering-prone and its software could easily be altered.
In a previous couple of weeks, the rift over the EVMs has aggravated, with Railways Minister Azam Khan Swati accusing the ECP of “always” rigging polls and going as far on say that such institutions should be “set on fire”.
This was followed by Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry accusing the chief election commissioner (CEC) of acting as a “mouthpiece for the opposition”.
In response, the ECP served notices to the ministers, seeking evidence of the allegation of taking bribes made against the institution.
Performance agreements
During his address on Wednesday, the prime minister also highlighted the importance of performance agreements and achieving the targets set within the last two years of the PTI government.
According to a tweet by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the prime minister was to sign performance agreements covering 1,090 initiatives with 41 federal ministers.
In a series of tweets, the PMO explained that the agreements were being signed to enhance the performance of the ministries over subsequent financial years. The initiatives covered under these agreements pertain to development projects, economy, policymaking, and reforms, among other sectors.
The PMO added that the agreements were focused on improving governance and making it result-oriented, ensuring the inclusion of reform agenda in annual targets, setting annual targets for the govt, setting a baseline for an effective performance audit, evaluating performance quarterly of the year on the idea of knowledge, preempting obstacles within the way of administrative measures, ensuring communication between ministries, ensuring the continuity of state agenda and communicating it to citizens.
During his address on Wednesday, PM Imran said while pertaining to the agreements that “it is extremely important to push ourselves, set [high] targets and monitor them quarterly, and that we are going to be ready to achieve these targets.”
Sharing his experience of leading the Pakistan cricket team and spearheading the establishment of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, he emphasized the necessity for having high aspirations, constant innovation, and self-evaluation and analysis of one’s performance.
He also stressed the importance of diligence and diligence for meeting targets, saying that his government had survived three difficult years.
The prime minister expressed the hope that his cabinet would achieve the quarterly targets that they had set for themselves through diligence.
