ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Babar Awan has rejected Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif’s proposed allocation of reserved seats in the two houses of the bicameral parliament for the overseas Pakistanis.
Addressing a press conference, Babar Awan termed Shehbaz’s proposal as a “fraud and flawed strategy”. He stressed that the government believed in the supremacy of the parliament and wanted to do all legislation through the House.
He said that Shehbaz Sharif wants Pakistanis abroad to be deprived of their right to vote. “The opposition leader’s suggestion is against the decision of the Supreme Court,” the PM’s aide added.
Shehbaz had suggested that five to seven seats be allocated in the National Assembly and two seats in the Senate to overseas Pakistanis. He had said that overseas Pakistanis should come to the country to cast their votes during elections.
Babar Awan opined that Shehbaz Sharif should not look for shortcuts and should speak up in Parliament. “The government wants to do all legislation through the parliament and considers the parliament as supreme”, Awan said, insisting that the doors of dialogue between the government and the opposition are open.
“Prime Minister Imran Khan has promised overseas Pakistanis that he will include them in power in Pakistan”, the adviser said. He again highlighted that Shehbaz’s proposal is against the decision of the Supreme Court.
“The apex court says that the right to vote for overseas Pakistanis already exists in the law and to not deprive overseas Pakistanis of this right”, he added. The adviser said articles 17, 19 and 106(2) of the Constitution all gave overseas Pakistanis the right to vote and it was their fundamental right which “cannot be ended because of Shehbaz Sharif’s recommendation”.
Babar Awan further said Shehbaz should not insult the Constitution of Pakistan. “If the whole parliament wants together to deprive overseas Pakistanis of their rights, Article 8 of the Constitution prohibits it,” he added.
The adviser shared that parliamentary leaders would be briefed by agencies regarding the environment being created on Pakistan’s border because of the withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan.
He said that while opposition parties had initially criticised the budget “without reading it”, when the Budget 2021-2022 was presented on the floor of the National Assembly, no objections were raised. Instead, he said, opposition parties raised cut motions on all institutions that deal with accountability, financial wrongdoing, corruption and kickbacks.
PML-N pitches new formula for expats’ representation in Parliament
Earlier on June 26, Shehbaz Sharif proposed a new formula for the representation of overseas Pakistanis in the parliament, while simultaneously taking a clear position that expatriates should come to the country to cast their vote.
In an official statement, Shehbaz Sharif proposed that reserve seats should be allocated for the overseas Pakistanis in the National Assembly and Senate. “This way the expats’ representatives would be able to raise issues being faced by the people in both houses of the parliament,” he added.
In his formula, Shehbaz has proposed to allocate five to seven seats in the National Assembly and two seats in the Senate for foreign Pakistanis. “The modalities and conditions of representation in these seats should be decided by all the political parties in parliament,” he added,
“This method can ensure a secure representation of Pakistanis living abroad in the parliament,” Shehbaz said, adding, “PML-N supports the right to vote for expats keeping in line with democratic thinking and principles.”
