Senate passes bills to reverse EVM use, overseas voting, NAB powers

ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Friday passed Election Act amendment bill 2022 and National Accountability Ordinance Amendment Bill 2022 with a majority vote to reverse the use of EVM, voting rights of overseas Pakistanis and curtail powers of NAB amid protest from opposition lawmakers, ARY NEWS reported.

Law Minister Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar presented the bills in the House for voting as PTI Parliamentary Leader Shahzad Waseem called for sending them to the concerned standing committees for further discussion.

However, the Senate Chairman tabled them for voting which resulted in them sailing through the Upper House with a majority vote.

Amendments in NAB law approved from National Assembly

In a bid to curtail the powers of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the National Assembly on Thursday approved amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance 1999, ARY NEWS reported.

The bill was tabled by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar who said that multiple amendments were made in the accountability Ordinance to clip the powers exercised by the accountability bureau.

Sharing details of the key amendments, he said that after fresh amendments, no arrests could be made before completion of the investigation process, and the suspect will have the right to obtain bail while 90-day remand is also abolished.

National Assembly reverses EVM use, voting rights for overseas Pakistanis 

Similarly, the Election Act amendment bill 2022 also sailed through the National Assembly yesterday, reversing PTI-led government’s measure to give voting rights to overseas Pakistanis and use of electronic voting machines during the next elections.

After the passage of the bill, the overseas Pakistanis would not be able to cast their vote from abroad however they could cast their votes while residing in Pakistan.

Moreover, it has been suggested that reserved seats should be introduced for Pakistani diaspora and the matter was sent to a standing committee for a final nod.

Speaking regarding the use of Electronic Voting Machines in next general elections, Azam Nazeer Tarar said: “We are not against use of technology, but we have concerns about misuse of technology as Results Transmission System (RTS) had failed in last general elections to favour a particular political party.”

He went onto say that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had also expressed its inability to hold elections through I-Voting and EVMs in a short span of time.