It’s parliament’s job to make laws: Babar Awan

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan Friday said the government was not withdrawing any legislation and said it is the duty of the Parliament to make laws and introduce amendments.

Dispelling the impression of withdrawing legislation given after the Thursday’s meeting of the Opposition and the government, Dr Babar Awan clarified that the legislation done in the Parliament was valid, lawful and constitutional and would not be withdrawn.

Talking in Geo News programme ‘Naya Pakistan’ adviser said the government has always shown seriousness over bringing of transparency in election through using electronic voting machines (EVMs), but the opposition parties, who want status quo to persist, are not in favour of EVMs. He said those who have managed thousands of fake votes in their constituencies fear their failure in case of transparent elections. “Election is the matter of nation in terms of determining their future, not a political party or the government,” he added.

He said if the Election Commission had any objection to the government legislation, then it should have contacted the government instead of leaking it to media. He said no institution, other than the Supreme Court of Pakistan, can term any legislation in the Parliament illegal.

Babar Awan surprisingly said the opposition parties objecting and boycotting the bills neither read these bills nor suggested any single amendment. He said the ECP should invite all the parties to devise mechanism for voting through EVMs and voting of overseas Pakistanis. He said if the opposition wants its own preferred EVM, then it should bring it in the Parliament, and the government would accept it.

Criticising the opposition leader’s stance that how the overseas Pakistanis can understand the issues of Pakistan, Babar Awan said, “If Nawaz Sharif sitting abroad can address the Pakistani nation and claim to understand the issues of Pakistan well then overseas Pakistanis better also know the issues of the country.”

He said the government has always acknowledged the valuable contribution of overseas Pakistanis in terms of remittances and they must be given right to vote in elections.