Bilawal presents submissions in SC on electoral reforms

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Thursday presented his submissions in the Supreme Court (SC) regarding electoral reforms.

In response to a query, raised by the SC in suo motu case regarding the National Assembly deputy speaker’s ruling on the no-confidence resolution, Bilawal submitted that the observations of the court on the speaker’s ruling were welcome.

He submitted that it is important to ask why the unconstitutional act was committed. The intent was to force elections without electoral reforms in order to repeat the 2018 elections. Bilawal stated that the intention of the joint opposition was to bring no-confidence motion in order to conduct electoral reforms and hold an early election.

The PPP chairman submitted that his party had announced its intentions before launch of its ‘Awami March’. “We had even submitted our comprehensive ‘White paper on 2018 election rigging’ to the Election Commission of Pakistan. Bilawal said “our intention is to pursue electoral reforms in the light of that report, in order to have free, fair and early elections”.

He said the in the past unfortunately, the ‘Doctrine of necessity’ and other legal justifications had been used where illegal or even unconstitutional acts had been condemned, but not reversed.

The PPP chairman said “we pray that the court sets a precedent that strengthens our institutions, our democracy and our constitution. “It is unfortunate if the constitutional ruling is condemned, but the intentions of those who perpetuated that unconstitutional act are not thwarted,” he stated in the submission before the SC.

With his submission, Bilawal also attached PPP’s white paper on 2018 election rigging, report of the Standing Committee of Parliamentary Affairs of the Senate on the PTI’s one-sided reforms, the Senate recommendations were also rejected by the same speaker in a joint session of the Parliament and the ECP objections to PTI’s reforms.