Alleged rigging: Govt objects to legal scope of MPs’ body

Byour correspondent

ISLAMABAD: The sub-committee of the Parliamentary Committee on probing the allegations of rigging in the general elections in its first meeting failed to compile the Terms of Reference (ToRs) for the parliamentary committee.

The Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry challenged the constitutional and legal scope of the committee, saying the parliamentary committee under Article 225 could not investigate the general elections. The sub-committee meeting held with its Convener Minister of Federal Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mehmood in the chair and was attended by its members.

The Article 225 of the Constitution reads as, “No election to a House or a Provincial Assembly shall be called in question except by an election petition presented in such tribunal and in such manner as may be determined by Act of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament).”

Shafqat Mehmood said being a convener of the committee he would refer the issue raised by Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry to the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee Pervaiz Khattak if the committee could investigate the general elections or not. He also asked the members to submit their proposed ToRs in the next meeting scheduled for November 22.

Syed Naveed Qamar said the Judicial Commission was formed after general elections 2013 and now the government is raising the objections to the parliamentary committee. “We do not agree to the government objections,” he said.He said the PPP will present its proposed ToRs in the next meeting. “We are hopeful and will also attend the meeting.

Rana Sanaullah said prima facie it seems the government accepted the demand of the formation of the parliamentary Committee under pressure. “The government is well aware of the rigging in the general elections and now wanted to avoid it,” he said. He questioned how the Article 225 of the Constitution comes in the way of Parliament. “We can approach the Supreme Court of Pakistan and could also come on the roads on the issue of rigging in the general elections,” he said.

Mir Hasil Bizanjo said the opposition will not allow the government to run away from the issue of rigging in the general elections. “We will make all out efforts to move ahead with the investigations of the rigging in the general elections,” he said.