KARACHI: Prime Minister Imran Khan has requested National Assembly Speaker (NA) Asad Qaiser to form a multi-party parliamentary council to review the election reforms bill tabled by the government in October 2020.
Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar, while sharing the premier’s letter addressed to the NA speaker, said the current corruption-ridden system has been exposed so badly in the recent Senate elections and needs an urgent change.
PM @ImranKhanPTI has written to the speaker national assembly, asking for a multi party committee to review the election reform bill submitted by the govt several months back. The current corruption ridden system exposed so badly in the recent senate elections needs urgent change pic.twitter.com/Op9RMRIcQw
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) March 17, 2021
Prime Minister Imran in the letter wrote, “I would request you to immediately form an inter-party parliamentary commission to discuss these reforms and come to an agreement on how to introduce best practices including the use of technology and introduction of Electronic Voting Machines to strengthen our electoral system and democracy.”
PM further said, “I would also recommend a definitive time frame for reaching agreement on all these issues that marred the transparency of our elections so that enough time is given to instituting the reforms before the next general elections”.
“It is in the interest of democracy in Pakistan to establish a credible and transparent electoral system and put an end to all venues that allow for corrupt practices that are eroding our parliamentary democracy,” the PM maintained.
It is worth mentioning here the bill tabled by the government following the federal cabinet’s approval in 2020, proposes to bring a radical change in the electoral process of electing Senate members.
It sought to dishearten horse-trading and manipulation; give a full mandate to the Election Commission of Pakistan to facilitate overseas Pakistanis for exercising their right to vote; make it mandatory to take oath within 60 days and enhances punishment for tampering with a ballot paper.
Besides, the main suggestion of holding the Senate elections through an open vote instead of the current method of secret ballot. Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan had vowed to bring electoral reforms to eliminate corruption and horse-trading practices.
During a meeting with Senator Zeeshan Khanzada and Faisal Javed, the prime minister said that the government is taking steps to make sure transparency in the next Senate polls. He said the government would take all possible measures to ensure that the next Senate polls would be held through the open ballot.
The prime minister said the whole nation knew well who stood on which side of history on the important issue of transparency in the electoral system.
The opposition was a supporter of the system based on rigging and a hurdle in the way of transparency while the government stood firm with its unwavering commitment to transparency in the electoral process, the PM added.
