Parliamentary panel meeting: PM directs Dar to expedite reforms bill

Finance minister holds detailed meeting with govt officials

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has directed Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to complete workings of the parliamentary committee which is tasked with introducing electoral reforms in the country and is set to meet for the 16th time today (Monday).

Dar, who heads the parliamentary committee, was twice approached by Nawaz over the weekend on the subject, once alone and once in the presence of allied political parties.

According to sources, Nawaz specifically asked Dar and Law Minister Zahid Hamid (who was heading a sub-committee of the panel) to immediately complete their assigned tasks given the current political situation in the country.

In the meeting with allies, PM House sources say Nawaz once again asked Dar to complete work assigned to the committee given how elections were fast approaching. It was pointed out that a draft bill on electoral reforms and subsequent inclusion of constitutional amendments, which are expected to be suggested, will take time.

Further, reservations were expressed on how four members of the election commission are due to retire soon, which makes the finalisation of the draft bill an urgent matter.

Sources said that the ongoing furore over the Panama Leaks is not likely to settle any time soon and hence the political atmosphere in the near future may not be favourable enough for the government to pass the bill.

Dar and Hamid assured the premier that they will try their best to complete their work at the earliest.

Following directions from the PM, Dar also held a detailed meeting with concerned government officials.

In July 2014, the National Assembly Speaker had notified a 33-member electoral reform committee to “evaluate the shortcomings of the previous electoral process and make recommendations to hold free, fair and transparent elections.”

It came after Nawaz had sent a letter to the NA speaker in June 2014 requesting him to constitute a parliamentary committee to propose constitutional amendments and an introduction of an electronic voting system in order to address loopholes in the electoral process.

The sub-committee received hundreds of proposals from stakeholders about electoral reforms and ran pilot projects for the electronic voting systems and in the end green-lighted the system.

Meanwhile, Dar told the last meeting of the committee that a draft bill is being prepared and will be moved in the Parliament soon.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 9^th, 2016.