ISLAMABAD: The government allies and opposition members in the National Assembly on Friday expressed reservations about the proposed Election Reforms Bill, saying that it will be a collective failure if questions were raised over the transparency of the next general elections.
The Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai, while taking part in the debate, accused secret agencies of interfering in general elections and working of democratic institutions. “No exercise aimed at ensuring fair and transparent elections can be successful unless interference of secret agencies in democratic institutions and elections is not stopped,” Achakzai said while taking part in the debate on the Conduct of Elections (The Election Bill, 2017).
The PkMAP chief said the only way to save the country was to uphold the Constitution. “This is only country in the world where politicians are invented by them, they are given money, then they are dubbed as corrupt by them,” Achakzai said.
He said all the political parties should now decide that all the decisions would be taken by parliament and there would be no role of agencies in democratic institutions. “I will salute generals who obey the Constitution and consider those as corrupt and illiterate who do not obey this sacred document,” he said.
Referring to the model of Soviet Union, he said none of rulers there could come to power without the backing of KGB which also took the state to destruction. Without naming any institution, Achakzai said they also raised the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI) against the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). “We need to learn from mistakes which were committed in the past,” he said, questioning whether articles 62 and 63 were taken care of when the IJI was formed.
The veteran politician said political parties should expel any leader from their set-up if he visits and meet secret agencies. At the outset on Friday, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) member Hamidul Haq pointed out lack of quorum and as a result, the proceedings remained suspended for 20 minutes. The House also adopted a resolution to dispense with question hour on Monday to give ample time to members to express their views on the bill.
Syed Naveed Qamar of the PPP said that quality ballet paper with water wall paper should be used. He said there should be no loophole left in the Election Bill which could be used against candidates and elected parliamentarians. The PPP lawmaker observed that there needed to be creation of such a system which could help in immediate announcement of results in a constituency. He pointed out that it was demand of the PPP that electronic voting system should be used but it seems that it will not be possible in the next general elections.
Naveed Qamar also objected to ban on providing transport to voters on the polling day. He said it is right of every voter to cast his vote. “It is practice in rural areas that voters are facilitated to reach polling stations,” he said observing that such loopholes should not be left in the law which could be used against politicians.
Sahibzada Tariqullah of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) warned the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leadership against attempting any amendment in Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution. “Any amendment in these two articles will be considered as treason with Constitution,” he said.
The JI parliamentary leader proposed that the elections should be held on basis of proportional electorate. He also objected allowing increase in limit on expenses on election campaigns by a candidate for the National Assembly and political parties as envisaged in the proposed legislation. He demanded doing away with condition of minimum 10 percent female votes of total turnout in a constituency, saying the overseas Pakistanis should also get right to vote.
Dr Shireen Mazari of the PTI while commenting on the proposed legislation said just passage of the bill would not serve the purpose, rather a constitutional amendment would be required. She said her party had four major objections on the bill including constitution of new Election Commission of Pakistan, right of vote for overseas Pakistanis, caretaker government comprising equal strength from government and opposition parties and biometric identification of votes.
The MQM member SA Iqbal Qadri observed that permission to increase in expenses on election campaign would not provide a level playing field to all the candidates and political parties. “The MQM represents middle class people and will be damaged with this clause in the bill,” he said.
He also demanded giving right of vote to overseas Pakistanis who also contribute significantly to the country’s economy with their remittances. Naeema Kishwar from the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) raised objections on permitting increase in limit on expenses on election campaign.
