PTI’s K-P MPs unhappy with federal ministers

PM Imran tells parliamentary party meeting electoral reforms need of hour

ISLAMABAD:

A group of PTI parliamentarians from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Wednesday complained to Prime Minister Imran Khan against federal ministers Asad Umar, Hammad Azhar and Umar Ayub related to projects in their constituencies.

A parliamentary party meeting was held chaired by the premier. The lack of interest in the meeting was reflected by the fact that 70 members did not attend it. The ruling PTI’s allies, the MQM-P, GDA, PML-Q and BAP, participated in the meeting.

The participants were briefed by Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Babar Awan and Law Minister Farogh Naseem on electronic voting machine (EVMs) and the criminal justice system reforms, respectively.

According to sources, the premier took the members into confidence on the government's measures. The participants discussed electoral reforms, including the use of EVMs.

PM Imran said the country had always needed free and fair elections.

"Transparent elections are the most important thing for any democracy," he added.

On legal reforms, he said the best practices around the world had been reviewed. “We will now complete legal reforms no matter what.”

He noted that the poor did not think that they would receive justice. “Legal reforms would have to be introduced until the stage of the registration of an FIR.”

Earlier, a group of 22 lawmakers from K-P, led by Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, warned of boycotting the parliamentary party meeting if their demands were not met.

The prime minister summoned the new group to his chamber. Federal ministers Asad Umar, Hammad Azhar, Umar Ayub and Amir Dogar were also summoned immediately to the chamber on the group’s demand.

The prime minister assured that the demands of the K-P group would be resolved immediately. The defence minister and his group attended the parliamentary meeting after the premier’s assurance.

During the meeting, Energy Minister Hammad Azhar refused to approve gas schemes for the members. “We don’t have gas and we are already supplying it on subsidy,” he added.

On this, Federal Minister Tariq Bashir Cheema, who belongs to the PML-Q, asked the prime minister whether they were representatives of the energy ministry or the government.

“Without schemes and in the face of rising inflation, how will the lawmakers face their constituents?” he inquired.

The prime minister directed to complete the process of legislation for making the country's election system transparent and undisputed by removing all the hurdles and taking the opposition into confidence at the earliest.

Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan apprised the meeting of progress on legislation for making the election system transparent and undisputed, the use of electronic voting machines to give the right of vote to Overseas Pakistanis and the introduction of internet-voting.

Minister for Law Farogh Naseem briefed the meeting in detail about the proposed reforms in the country's criminal justice system.