ECP official dispels fears of EMS being hacked

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) IT Director Khizar Aziz has dispelled the fears of the Election Management System (EMS) being hacked in Thursday’s (tomorrow) general elections, saying that no public network is being utilised for transmitting election results.

“Private networks will be employed for the purpose which eliminates concerns about the hacking of the EMS,” Aziz told a private news channel.

He highlighted that the EMS was equipped with a special software, securely housed in the offices of 859 returning officers (RO), with the provision of four data entry operators, four laptops, and IT equipment, the official news agency reported.

Simultaneously, Aziz stated, the EMS was also installed in the mobile phones of presiding officers (PO) who will capture an image of Form 45 and send it to the returning officer. In case of network issue, Form 45 will automatically be delivered to the RO once the signal is restored.

He explained the process of Section 95, where the presiding officer is required to visit the RO’s office and display Form 45 on his mobile device. The form will self-lock on the presiding officer’s mobile, ensuring data integrity.

Elucidating the working of EMS, Aziz stated that during the creation of Form 47 the RO will verify that Form 45 is locked on the presiding officer’s mobile.

Computers in the RO office, he said, will operate in three modes for national and provincial assemblies, conducting online data entry. In case of network disconnection, the software will seamlessly switch to an offline mode.

Regarding connectivity, he mentioned the existence of a third toll apart from online and offline modes.

The ECP IT director said the commission has improved the Result Management System from the previous version, ensuring a robust infrastructure connected via fibre optics. Where fibre optics are unavailable, satellite connectivity is utilised.

Zafar Iqbal Hussain, the Special Secretary of the Election Commission, added that presiding officers will display the results outside the polling stations.

He emphasised the importance of polling agents signing Form 45, reinforcing the commitment to transparency in the electoral process.