Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry and Adviser to Prime Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan, in a press conference, shared details of the government’s plans for electoral reforms for free and transparent elections within the country.
Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs has proposed 49 amendments to the Election Amendment Bill 2020. Awan said that the reforms shall be put forth before all stakeholders, including civil society, media and Bar councils.
Fawad Chaudhry stressed that the government wants to get the reforms passed from parliament through consensus. Chaudhry said that if the opposition parties are not ready to support the proposal for the electoral reforms, it will delay both political and democratic development within the country.
Yesterday, Shehbaz Sharif had spurned down the proposal of using an electronic voting system (EVS). He was responding to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s tweets on electoral reforms.
PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif rejected PM’s proposal to use electronic voting machine. In a statement posted on Twitter, Shehbaz said, “Electronic voting system is rejected by the whole world. Pakistan Election Commission (ECP) has declared it unworkable. Such important national tasks cannot be performed at the request or order of an individual.”
He further added that electoral reforms are a rather sensitive issue. “Electoral reforms can only take place after consultation of all parties, in the light of public opinion and through consensus.”
“Instead of electronic voting, the government should worry about a ruined economy, skyrocketing inflation, unemployment and the ever increasing mortality rates,” Shehbaz Sharif added.
