KARACHI: PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has asserted that the opposition parties, under the banner of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), were even ready to face the government for an open Senate vote.
Addressing a press conference today (Monday), he said that the PTI-led federal government was making Senate elections controversial like the general elections. “they are attempting to do so through ordinances and references,” he added.
Bilawal pointed out that the ‘right to secret ballot’ was available for every citizen of Pakistan. “My right to secret ballot is being attacked, my MPAs’ right to secret ballot is being attacked,” he said.
“We are supportive of electoral reforms but this government does not want it,” he added. The PPP chairman further said that if the government wanted to bring about electoral reforms, it could have done so easily over the past three years it was in power.
“When they got to know the opposition was contesting Senate elections and they knew their MPAs and MNAs were not happy with the government they showed a lack of confidence in their own parliamentarians,” he said, referring to open balloting.
He also announced that the Opposition will challenge the presidential ordinance on the open Senate ballot signed by President Arif Alvi. “If the entire process has to be carried out through the president’s office, then what is the use if assemblies?”
“If this law for open balloting in Senate election passes then you should lock the assemblies,” he added. The PPP chairperson gave the government a dire warning, stating that its own members were ready to cast votes against them in case an open ballot is held.
