close
Friday March 29, 2024

Consensus on polls on time reflected in passage of amendment

By Tariq Butt
November 18, 2017

ISLAMABAD: No unusual voting pattern was noticed during the approval of the new constitutional amendment in the National Assembly, showing any signs of desertions in the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), trumpeted by its detractors since July 28 when Nawaz Sharif was ousted as the prime minister by the Supreme Court.


Meanwhile, the unanimous passage of the instant amendment left no doubt that all the political parties, represented in the parliament, want the 2018 general elections on time. This demonstration poured cold water on those inventing machinations to get the forthcoming polls thwarted or to prolong the life of the next caretaker setup, converting it into a technocrats’ government for three years.


Since the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also voted for the amendment like other parliamentary forces after its Khyber Pakhtukhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak had endorsed the proposed amendment in the Council of Common Interests (CCI), its intention became clear that it too wishes the next polls on the dot. But strangely, still Imran Khan continues to unnecessarily harp on snap elections, finding not even a single backer in the political arena.


However, the absence of PTI senators from the Upper House of Parliament on Friday created doubts about its role or afterthought in the backdrop of reports about phone calls to some MPs from unknown numbers. There may be different reasons behind lack of the required two-thirds majority in the Senate when the bill was to be tabled. One of them was obviously the start of the long weekend. Generally, the attendance happens to be thin in both the chambers on Mondays and Fridays because of the beginning or end of the two weekly holidays.


The present amendment attracted a total of 242 votes of the PML-N, its allies and opposition parties as it was unanimous like before. Just one rabble-rouser, Jamshed Dasti, opposed it as he has always been doing in the past.


Before this constitutional amendment, a consensus piece of similar legislation was adopted with the support of 236 votes in the National Assembly on May 19, 2016. Another amendment had been backed by 247 MPs on January 6, 2015. Yet another had bagged 255 ballots in the Lower House on March 21, 2017. It transpires from this data that there was nothing extraordinary in the number of votes that the new amendment clinched in a House of 342.


Of these legislations, one amendment related to extension of the life of military courts for next two years for trial of “jetblack” terrorists. Four members, including Jamshed Dasti, Mahmood Achakzai and Abdul Qahar Wadan had opposed it while the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) abstained from voting on the plea that their recommendations were not incorporated in it.


Another amendment specified qualifications and procedure for appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). It said that in case there is no consensus between the prime minister and the leader of the opposition over appointment of the CEC, both will send separate lists to the parliamentary committee for consideration and approval. Yet another amendment had originally provided for establishment of military courts to try terrorists. The lawmakers of the PTI and JUI-F had abstained from voting on it.


Statistics disclose that as many as 126 PML-N lawmakers, 26 legislators of its allied parties and 90 members of the opposition side were present during the voting on the present amendment. Some 62 PML-N lawmakers and 21 opposition legislators were absent. The PML-N has a total of 188 members. The opposition’s total tally stands at 111.


Conspicuous absentees were Foreign Minister Khawaja M Asif, leader of opposition Khursheed Shah, Imran Khan, Fazlur Rehman, Federal Minister Riaz Pirzada and PML-N member Khusro Bakhtiar.


The urgency that has been repeatedly emphasized by the ECP to hurriedly pass the present constitutional amendment is being attended by its prompt parliamentary approval. After its enactment, the electoral body will be armed with due constitutional and legal powers to make all the arrangements for the next general elections, leaving no lacunae to be agitated in a superior court subsequently.


Till coming August when the polls are due to take place, the ECP will do the mandated delimitation of constituencies, reallocate seats on the basis of the provisional results of the 2017 population census, update electoral rolls and carry out a lot of other election-related work.


The passage of the constitutional amendment will help evaporate doubts, surrounding the holding of the scheduled polls, created by some anti-democracy elements. Given their deep ambition and efforts to frustrate Pakistan’s march on the democratic trajectory, the approval of the amendment will not be a good news for them.