The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has raised alarms over the security risks of granting open e-voting access to overseas Pakistanis, warning that the system could be vulnerable to hacking attempts.
During a Supreme Court hearing, the ECP’s lawyer informed the bench that a pilot e-voting project had been conducted in 35 constituencies, and findings had already been submitted to the Senate committee.
The commission’s IT director revealed that a cyberattack targeted the pilot project for up to three hours, with hackers from India, Israel, and the Philippines attempting to breach the system.
Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar questioned the ECP’s apprehensions, challenging them to explain why firewalls and other security measures were insufficient.
The ECP’s lawyer maintained that global experts had reviewed the project and strongly advised against large-scale implementation. However, PTI’s legal counsel, Uzair Bhandari, accused the commission of deliberately blocking overseas Pakistanis from voting.
Justice Jamal Mandokhail suggested that concerns be addressed in Parliament, but lawyer Arif Chaudhry countered that the matter now required Supreme Court intervention. The court directed the ECP to share all relevant reports and adjourned the hearing indefinitely.