Shehbaz decides to hold APC for consensus on electoral reforms bill

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif has decided to hold All Parties Conference (APC) of opposition parties for building consensus on electoral reforms, ARY News reported, citing sources.

Sources privy to the matter informed ARY News that the final date of the All Parties Conference (APC) would be announced after holding consultations with opposition parties.

All opposition parties and concerned representatives of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would be invited to attend the APC meeting on the electoral reforms bill, sources said.

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif yesterday had urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to invite all opposition parties for consultation on electoral reforms.

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In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, the opposition leader had called for a consensus-based reform plan to be presented before Parliament for passage to “ensure that future elections are fair, transparent and reflect the genuine will of the electorate”.

“In view of the complaints of rigging in the 2018 Elections, there is a dire need for evolving a national consensus on electoral reforms to ensure that next general elections are held in fair, free and transparent manner, without any interference,” Shehbaz Sharif wrote in the letter.

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“The present government’s unilateral actions to force its electoral reforms agenda without any consultation with the stakeholders, which conflicts with many constitutional provisions, will make future elections controversial,” he said.

“Fore meaningful electoral reforms, institutions have to ensure stakeholders’ input and ownership. The spirit of upholding the constitution must be at the center of the reform plan,” he maintained.