Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

‘I-voting solution for overseas Pakistanis is outdated’ says an audit firm

‘I-voting solution for overseas Pakistanis is outdated’ says an audit firm

PAKISTAN’S existing internet voting solution for its overseas nationals does not fulfil the constitutional requirements of vote secrecy, a report found.

Spanish audit firm Minsait said neither voters nor the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would have any guarantee that the results obtained from the system represented choices made by voters.


A third-party audit was done on behalf of the government by Minsait which looked at the implementation of internet voting for overseas Pakistanis, The News said.

In a 231-page report, recently submitted to the government, the audit firm “strongly recommended” that the existing system be upgraded prior to being used in any election.

It warned that the technologies included by the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) are outdated and vulnerable and could be exploited by attackers.

“I-voting would remain a risky affair even if the present system is improved. The resulting system would probably be more resilient than the current one, but would still fail to give all the guarantees that voters and candidates deserve,” the audit report said.

It raised concerns about the protection of internet voting from external and internal attacks – for example, by hackers or system administrators.

“Minsait has done the best possible effort to analyse the situation of the existing i-voting system. Nadra and the ECP provided the information requested, but more detailed documentation would have helped understanding the system better,” said the report.

The report highlighted that in the present i-voting system for overseas Pakistanis, voters have no way of verifying that their vote was cast as intended, recorded as cast or counted as recorded. It added that voter privacy can be broken at several points in the system.

More For You

BBC settles age and sex discrimination case
BBC headquarters in Central London.
Getty Images

BBC settles age and sex discrimination case

THE BBC on Friday (14) said it had settled a case with four female journalists who claimed they lost their jobs because of their sex and age.

Martine Croxall, Annita McVeigh, Karin Giannone and Kasia Madera, who have all presented on the BBC's television channels, claimed they lost their jobs following a "rigged" recruitment exercise.

Keep ReadingShow less
Indian student in US self-deports after visa revocation

In this screenshot from a video posted by @Sec_Noem via X on March 14, 2025, Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian citizen who participated in pro-Palestinian protests at United State’s Columbia University, leaves the country after her visa was revoked by the Department of State. (@Sec_Noem via PTI Photo)

Indian student in US self-deports after visa revocation

AN INDIAN student at Columbia University, whose visa was revoked for allegedly supporting Hamas, has self-deported, says the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian citizen, came to the US on an F-1 student visa as a doctoral student in Urban Planning at Columbia University, and her visa was revoked on March 5.

Keep ReadingShow less
'Companies with diverse leadership are better positioned for growth'

From LtoR- Lord Karan Bilimoria, Sir Trevor Phillips, Seema Malhotra MP, David Tyler and Nathan Coe

'Companies with diverse leadership are better positioned for growth'

COMPANIES with diverse leadership are better positioned for sustainable growth, improved decision-making, and will connect better with multicultural markets, equalities minister Seema Malhotra has said.

She added that the government will soon launch a public consultation on their approach to mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting.

Keep ReadingShow less
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar with  Wang Yi (right)

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar with Wang Yi (right)

S Jaishankar: ‘Delhi’s global interests shape its regional ties'

INDIA today sees itself as a global power or, at least, a country with global interests, which is why Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has spoken of its equation with Russia, China and notably the Middle East.

India’s external affairs minister was in conversation last Wednesday (5) in London with Bronwen Maddox, director of the Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham House.

Keep ReadingShow less
'Hundreds of million pounds can be saved by abolishing NHS'

Keir Starmer speaks with medical staff during a visit to the Elective Orthopaedic Centre at Epsom Hospital in Epsom, England. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

'Hundreds of million pounds can be saved by abolishing NHS'


HUNDREDS of millions of pounds could be saved and patient waiting lists reduced as prime minister Keir Starmer announced plans to abolish NHS England, the body overseeing the state-funded health system.

In a speech delivered in Hull, Starmer explained his decision to streamline the National Health Service's management structure: "I can't, in all honesty, explain to the British people why they should spend their money on two layers of bureaucracy."

Keep ReadingShow less