The Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has been decrying electoral mismanagement in the country and has focused on inviting the opposition parties to introduce electoral reforms. After being turned down by the opposition, the PTI government speedily passed ordinances through President Alvi rather than presenting and debating these reforms in the parliament. The next general election is scheduled for 2023, but why is the PTI so concerned with bringing electoral reforms as soon as possible, going to the extent of unilaterally introducing these reforms against the democratic norm.
Vying for electoral reform
On May 8, President Arif Alvi signed an ordinance amending the Election Act 2017 that provided the Pakistani citizens living across the globe an opportunity to cast a vote in the general elections.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), with the technical assistance of the National Database and Registration Authority or any other agency, will work to enable overseas Pakistan to exercise their right to vote during general elections, the ordinance stated.
Previously in a similar vein, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) president and National Assembly Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif turned down a suggestion by Prime Minister Imran Khan to employ electronic voting machines (EVM) to restore the credibility of elections.
Shehbaz took to Twitter and said the whole world, including the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), has already turned down the concept of EVM.
He tweeted that such critical national decisions cannot be implemented on the orders or whims of a person.
He said electoral reforms could only be introduced with a consensus, and the PML-N had introduced reforms in the past with consensus.
The PML-N president said a historic and consensus document signed by all the stakeholders is still there. When the opposition talks of economic reforms and gives suggestions, they are insulted in the name of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).
The overseas Pakistanis factor
Pakistan’s overseas Pakistani diaspora is expanded to over 9 million.
In his address to ambassadors, Imran Khan had criticised them for not taking care of the overseas diaspora. The PM had expressed his annoyance over an “indifferent attitude” of Pakistani embassies towards issues faced by overseas Pakistanis, particularly in the Gulf states.
“Feedback that I have received from Saudi Arabia showed the staff is not working. The staff in Kuwait takes bribes instead of guiding people, and an official is involved in forging documents…I was shocked to learn all this,” Imran had said in his address to the Pakistani envoys deployed worldwide.
Dissolution of assemblies?
One of Imran’s close aides has already stated that Imran can dissolve the assemblies if he is not allowed to function.
Federal Planning Minister Asad Umar has repeatedly said that Prime Minister Imran Khan will not hesitate in curtailing his own term as the prime minister if he thinks he is being blackmailed or hurdles are created in the work that he is trying to accomplish.
The federal minister made these remarks during an Aaj TV show.
“If anyone still thinks they can blackmail Imran Khan, they should take a lesson from this story,” Asad Umar said in a thinly-veiled warning to the disgruntled lawmakers who are seeking justice for estranged PTI leader Jahangir Khan Tareen.
At this, the host asked Asad Umar if he was trying to say that the PM will dissolve assemblies in case of a similar episode? The minister responded that Imran is not fond of staying in power, adding that he didn’t come to power for the sake of power. “Will he dissolve assemblies,” the host asked again.
“That’s for him to decide… what action he will take,” Asad Umar added. “I have no doubt he can dissolve parliament…curtail his time as the prime minister out of his free will if he thinks he is being stopped from achieving what he had planned to do.”
Speculations
There are still over two years for the Imran government’s tenure to end.
There is growing speculation that there is an under the hand deal that might be struck with the establishment by PML-N and that the release of Shehbaz Sharif is under the same arrangement, that of the inhouse change
A Sharif family spokesperson, Mohammad Zubair, very recently said that matters with Rawalpindi have now been resolved.
With things progressing and looking easier for PML-N, speculations are ripe for some movement towards an in-house change after the budget session. In June, the Imran government is to present its 3rd budget next month in the annual budget parliamentary session.
