Electoral reforms without opposition would be controversial: PILDAT president

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT) President Ahmed Bilal Mehboob said that Electoral reforms without opposition would be controversial, ARY News reported. 

While talking to the ARY News programme ‘Khabar’, PILDAT President Ahmed Bilal Mehboob said one month is left in general elections and electoral reforms cannot be made in such short time as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will not have enough time to implement those reforms.

He said that the electoral reforms will be controversial without the opposition as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has already boycotted the electoral reforms committee. The government needs to consult PTI regarding the electoral reforms, Ahmed Bilal added.

The PILDAT President maintained that clipping the powers of the Supreme Court is not in the jurisdiction of Parliament. The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) holds the right to declare a political party illegal, he added.

Furthermore, Ahmed Bilal Mehboob warned if elections are delayed with an excuse of no funds it will affect the entire system. First, the government said that elections should be held across the country on the same day, now as the governments is about to end so the elections should not be delayed.

It is pertinent to mention here in the earlier two sessions of the parliamentary committee, the body completed a preliminary review of 70 of the 73 amendment proposals in election law suggested by different political parties.

Some political parties expressed serious reservations over the delay in announcement of election results. They suggested not to accept the results submitted after a delay.