Time for electoral reforms: Fawad Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry Friday said the way the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) held the system hostage in Karachi's one constituency had necessitated electoral reforms even more acute than before.

In a tweet, the minister said, “I ask the opposition to consider the suggestions of Prime Minister Imran Khan”. He pointed out that the low turnout in NA-249 by-election had indicated that the people were losing faith in the electoral process.

Earlier on Tuesday, April 27, Fawad had urged the opposition to submit their suggestions for electoral reforms to hold the next general elections through electronic voting system and granting the right of vote to nine million overseas Pakistanis.

Talking to the media persons in Islamabad, Fawad said Prime Minister's Advisor on Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan had briefed the cabinet about the electoral reforms and electronic voting machines.

The government, he said, wanted to move forward on the electoral reforms with political consensus and the prime minister had written a letter to the National Assembly speaker to engage the opposition on the matter.

The speaker, he said, had also written letters to the opposition leaders for their input on the electoral voting system but so far no reply had been given by them. Fawad said the government could not wait for the opposition's response indefinitely as it wanted to hold next general elections through the electronic voting machines (EVMs) and grant overseas Pakistanis the right to franchise.

Both the PMLN and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), he said, wanted to oppose the move of granting the right of vote to the expatriates as they were not their supporters. “The two parties should openly express their viewpoint whether they wanted to give the vote right to the overseas Pakistanis or not,” he added.