Khatm-e-Nabuwwat declaration restored

Opposition demands to fix responsibility for changing ‘I solemnly swear’ to ‘I believe’

ISLAMABAD: After sailing through the National Assembly, the Election (Amendment) Bill, 2017 was unanimously passed by the Senate restoring Khatm-e-Nabuwwat declaration to its original form.

The bill was moved by Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid to amend the Election Act, 2017.

Earlier, through the Election Act, 2017, the words in Form-A “I solemnly swear” had been replaced with “I believe”.

Thanking political parties for helping rectify the mistakes in the Election Act, 2017, Hamid said the declaration in the nomination papers had been restored to its original form through the amendment in the act.



Opposition lawmakers called for a judicial inquiry to fix responsibility for the changes made in the relevant clause in the draft passed by parliament.

Sections 7B and 7C of the Conduct of General Elections Order, 2002, which relate to the status of Ahmedis, had also been omitted in the Election Act, 2017.

Section 7B states that the status of Ahmedis would remain as stated in the Constitution of Pakistan, while Section 7C states that if an enrolled voter's belief in the finality of Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) Prophethood is contended, they shall have to sign a declaration stating so, failing which their name shall be deleted from the joint electoral rolls and added to a supplementary list of voters in the same electoral area as non-Muslim.

With adoption of new amendments first by the National Assembly last week and then by the Senate on Tuesday, clauses 7B and 7C of the Conduct of Elections Order, 2002, have also been restored to their previous form.



Opposition lawmakers also demanded resignation of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar after his indictment by an accountability court in a corruption reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau.

Taking part in the debate, senators belonging to PPP, PTI, ANP, PML-Q and other smaller groups said that a person allegedly involved in serious financial crimes should not continue as finance minister after his indictment.

Senator Mohsin Aziz of PTI criticised Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s administration for creating new ministries at a time when economic indicators showed the country was heading towards bankruptcy.

“Instead of taking austerity measures, this government is busy in extravaganzas,” he added.



He demanded Abbasi to sack finance minister if he does not resign himself.

“After indictment, Dar does not have any moral authority to stay on the post,” he remarked.

Senator Sherry Rehman of PPP said accountability court was lenient with the Sharif family as it issued bailable arrest warrants for them, while it issues non-bailable warrants for common citizens if they are implicated in such cases.

While opposition was pressing for Dar’s resignation, some treasury senators came to his defence.

Hamid, in his winding up speech, claimed that Dar had turned around the economy by creating conducive economic environment, adding that the country was at the brink of bankruptcy when incumbent government came into power in 2013.