Govt will extend full cooperation to ECP regarding use of EVMs in elections: Fawad

ISLAMABAD, Dec 02 (SABAH): A meeting of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Core Committee chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad on Thursday discussed matters pertaining to local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.

Later, briefing media, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Chaudhary Fawad Hussain said local bodies elections in seventeen districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are being held on 19th of this month.

The Minister said Punjab local government act will also be approved in the next few days which will pave the way for local bodies’ elections in the province.

Regarding the use of Electronic Voting Machines, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said the Election Commission of Pakistan is heading in the right direction as it has formed a technical evaluation committee on the matter.  He said the government will extend full cooperation to the ECP regarding the use of EVMs in the elections. He said that the local bodies’ elections will be held through EVMs, adding that regarding this the Punjab government has already introduced amendment in the law.

Information Minister said core committee was also briefed about the government’s social welfare programs including Ehsaas and health card scheme.

He said health cards will be provided to entire population of Punjab and each household will be able to annually get medical treatment of one million rupees. He said it is also our effort to include Sindh and Balochistan in the health card scheme. The PTI’s core committee also reviewed the situation of inflation.

Fawad Chaudhary said the sensitive price index has reduced by 0.67 percent. He said the situation will further improve in the days ahead and relief will reach the common man.

Responding to a question, the Information Minister said the government welcomes suggestions of opposition parties on major reforms.