The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is likely to use biometric verification machines (BVMs) and electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the next by-election, sources said. Sources said that the ECP has bought some BVMs, EVMs and plans to procure more such machines for 2018 general elections. However, they would be used as pilot project in the by-election, sources said.

3 international firms are technically qualified for supplying EVMs while 2 of them meet the standard for supplying BVMs. The ECP is in process of acquiring 400 EVMs and 300 BVMs for a pilot project only.

The Commission has also taken extra precautions and made it mandatory for qualified firms to get security clearance from top intelligence agencies before a contract is awarded to them.

According to some reports, Indira Systems and Reliance are among the qualified firms. Indira Systems is a purely Spanish company while Reliance is a Pakistani firm which runs its business in collaboration with a Spanish firm namely Scytl. Morpho is a renowned French firm but it is nowhere in play as it has been technically disqualified.

In addition, 3 local companies are technically qualified for supplying EVMs and one of them has collaboration with a US company while others have their parent companies in Spain.

The companies technically approved for the supply of BVMs include a Spanish firm and a local firm having collaboration with a German company.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2017