The government on Wednesday referred the controversial Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and Elections (Second Amendment) Bill, 2021 to a joint sitting of parliament amid strong protest by the opposition.
These bills allow the PTI government to move closer to its aims to introduce an electronic voting machine (EVM) system in the country and give overseas Pakistanis the right to vote.
Opposition members had walked out pointing out lack of quorum, after which the motion to refer the bills to the joint sitting was adopted by the House.
Since the start of the ongoing session on September 17, the government has been failing to complete quorum in the House which prevented passage of the required motion, The News reported, adding that on Wednesday the opposition made a “last-ditch attempt” to foil the government’s motion by pointing out lack of quorum, but the House was found in order.
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan moved that under sub-rule (7) of rule 154 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007, read with Article 70(3) of the Constitution, the Elections (Second Amendment) Bill, 2021, as passed by the National Assembly but not passed by the Senate within the stipulated period of 90 days, be referred to the joint sitting for consideration and passage.
The two bills related to amendments in the Elections Act, 2017, were passed by the National Assembly on June 10 this year but could not see the light of day in the Senate within 90 days.
The House also referred the International Court of Justice (Review and Re-consideration) Bill, 2021; the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Bill, 2021; the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2021; the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and the Hyderabad Institute of Science and Technology bill to a joint sitting of the parliament. All the referred bills were passed by the National Assembly.
GOVT AUTHORITY: The Constitution and Elections Act authorise the government to make changes to the election laws and use of advanced technology for fair and free elections, Law Minister Farogh Naseem said, rejecting all objections of the opposition members.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), he said, also had no jurisdiction to oppose any changes in elections laws. Rather, under Article 222 (d) of the Constitution, it was Parliament’s jurisdiction to provide the conduct of elections.
The government wants to give the right of vote to the overseas Pakistanis who send remittances of 29 billion dollars to the country, Naseem was reported as telling the opposition.
THE OPPOSITION: The PTI government started making plans to rig the next elections from two years ago, PML-N parliamentarian Khawaja Muhammad Asif had said earlier, opposing the motion.
He said that all general elections except the 1970 polls were controversial.
“The government is laying the foundation to rig next general elections from today,” Asif had said.
He said the opposition just wanted that the vote is given respect and elections are held in a fair and transparent way. “We are the custodian of people’s right to vote and respect it,” he added.
Asif apprehended that the EVMs would be vulnerable to hacking to change elections results. “The countries which introduced EVMs are rolling it back.”
Asif warned the government that dispute of rigging in elections would start from today if the bill is referred to the joint sitting.
He said the government had also admitted that hackers have become more powerful. “Any unilateral attempt by the government for any electoral reforms would be based on bad intentions as the Speaker had already constituted a parliamentary committee to take up matters related to elections laws.”
He said that following cantonment boards elections, in which the ruling party secured 26 percent polled votes, it fears that it would lose the next elections if held in fair and transparent way.
Minister for Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari said EVMs are used in the United States, India and many other countries.
PPP: Syed Naveed Qamar strongly opposed the government’s move to refer the bill to the joint sitting. He, too, believed it would mean the “start of rigging two years prior to elections”.
“The opposition cannot expect a government that came to power by stealing the 2018 elections to not steal the next elections,” said JUI-F’s Asad Mahmood.
He said that negotiations on elections laws were under process when the government was going to make amendments to the elections act.
