National Assembly debates on the Election Reforms Bill 2017

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Friday initiated debate on the Election Reforms Bill 2017 after suspending the day’s business through a motion, ARY News reported. 

Pakistan People’s Party lawmaker Naveed Qamar talking on the election bill said that the bill has been prepared with the vigorous efforts of all political parties. He said the bill has strengthened the election commission.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief whip in the lower house of the parliament Shireen Mazari said that it is imperative to form a new election commission to ensure free and transparent elections. Speaking on the floor of the assembly, she said that her party had always advocated transparent and free elections.

Mazari said that the PTI still have reservations over the election bill. The lawmaker said that the bill and the constitutional amendment should have been introduced together.

Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai while speaking on the bill lamented that no free and fair elections held in the country after 1970 polls. He urged all political parties to work for the supremacy of the parliament stressing that all policies related to the country’s internal and foreign affairs should be formulated in the parliament.

The parliamentarians talking party in the debate said that the bill should be finalized in such a way that no one can raise objection on the next general elections otherwise all the efforts will go in vain. The members said that the overseas Pakistanis should be granted right to vote in the next General Election.

They said that election expenditures should also be specified to encourage participatory democracy.

Some of the members suggested that the caretaker government before the election should be formulated on fifty percent proposals each from the government and the opposition.

They said that the bio-metric system should be introduced in the next general elections for verification and identification of the voters and necessary amendments should be made in the constitution accordingly.

The House will now meet on Monday at 3:00 in the afternoon to resume debate on the bill.