Parliament allows voting rights for overseas Pakistanis, use of EVMs in next elections

Tariq Butt, Correspondent

Amid high-pitched opposition protest, the parliament on Wednesday approved i-voting for overseas Pakistani and use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the next general elections besides several other bills.

This prompted the opposition to tear copies of the day’s agenda and walk out of the sitting in protest. Its lawmakers gathered around the treasury benches, chanting slogans against Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was in attendance, and his government. Minor scuffles and exchange of hot words also took place between the treasury and opposition members.

OPPOSITION TO CHALLENGE ELECTORAL REFORMS

The opposition chanted noisy slogans "wheat flour thief, sugar thief, vote thief" during the passage of the bills. Senior opposition leaders quickly announced that they would challenge the electoral reforms passed by the parliament in the Supreme Court.

Earlier, the bill on the use of EVMs, described as the evil and vicious machines by Shahbaz Sharif, was deferred at the request of Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan, but it was later taken up again and put up to a vote.

Imran Khan celebrates the passing of electoral bills in parliament.

The parliament also passed a bill to provide for the right of review and reconsideration in the convicted Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav case to bring into effect the judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The ICJ (Review and Reconsideration) Bill was moved by Law Minister Farogh Nasim. It was passed with a majority vote. Besides, after the opposition’s boycott, the government easily approved several other bills that had earlier been rejected by the opposition-dominated Senate over the past couple of years. The bills were supported by 221 MPs and were opposed by 203 MPs.

After a landmark victory in parliament’s joint session on Wednesday by passing the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2021, Planning and Special Initiatives Minister Asad Umar has said that Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf’s (PTI) long struggle over several years to get overseas Pakistanis the right to vote, finally achieved success.

“Special congrats to all overseas Pakistanis who despite strong opposition by the PDM parties today got the right to vote thru [through] an internet based voting system,” Asad wrote on his official Twitter handle.

Addressing the parliament, Shahbaz said that the government and its allies wanted to bulldoze important bills. He termed it "illegal" and said that it was equivalent to spoiling the traditions of parliament.

Shahbaz, who had earlier written a letter to National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser airing his grievances about the haste in passing the bills without a consensus, said that initially the joint session was delayed after the government said it would consult with the opposition on the issue.

"You sent a letter to me and the whole joint opposition," he said, adding that in response he submitted a comprehensive answer with "great suggestions." "But speaker, you cancelled your contact and we received no answer from you."

Commenting on the proposal for consultations, he called it a "ploy to buy time" so that the government could secure the votes it needed. "You had no intention of doing consultations on the issue."

He said that there are always allegations of rigging during the elections. "This is the first time in history that there are allegations of rigging before the elections." He claimed that the "selected government" wanted to introduce EVMs because it can no longer ask the people for votes.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal criticised the government's "one-sided" electoral reforms, which have never before been seen in the country's history. He said that during the government of former premier Nawaz Sharif, his party had a two-third majority.

"If that government had unilaterally decided and used the majority to force reforms, then the PTI and the PPP would not have been able to do anything. "If they had decided to introduce a Constitutional amendment, then we would have to accept their decision. But they achieved a consensus," he said.

He said that if the government had followed in the footsteps of its predecessor, then the opposition would have taken part in the legislation process. "If we carried out reforms together then the next election would not be controversial and it would have been Imran Khan’s success."