Inclusion of Fawad, Swati in ECP panel rejected

Opposition proposes parliamentary body for electoral reforms

ISLAMABAD:

The joint opposition on Sunday rejected the changes in the committee on the appointment of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) members, particularly the inclusion of federal ministers Fawad Chaudhry and Azam Swati in the panel.

In a letter written to the NA speaker, the opposition said it believed that issues of national interest, especially legislation with wide-ranging long-term impact on the people of Pakistan, should be resolved through consensus-oriented consultation.

It also proposed the formation of a committee comprising members from both houses of parliament to consider and approve with consensus a complete package of electoral reforms including the Elections (Amendment) Bills 2021 passed by the National Assembly.

The opposition further wrote in its letter that this body should be formed on the basis of the committee formed on July 25, 2014.

That panel, it noted, had held 117 meetings and unanimously approved electoral reforms on November 20, 2017.

The letter was written after a virtual meeting of the opposition’s steering committee. The meeting was held to mull over the National Assembly speaker’s letter to opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif seeking cooperation on important legislation.

The huddle was attended by PML-N leaders Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Ayaz Sadiq, Saaad Rafiq, Marriyum Aurangzeb; PPP’s Yousuf Raza Gilani, Shazia Marri, Sherry Rehman; and Kamran Murtaza and Shahida Akhtar Ali of the JUI-F.

During the meeting, it was decided that the opposition would support the government on important legislation. However, it would not help it tailor laws to facilitate individuals.

The legislation should be in accordance with the Constitution and the law, they concurred.

They said the government wanted to violate the spirit of law-making by extending the tenure of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chief Javed Iqbal.

They added that the opposition could talk with the government about improving laws, but it should not expect any help in making them worse.

About the changes in the ECP panel, the opposition members said the government had included two members – Fawad and Swati – who had in the past threatened the commission’s chief. One of them had talked about setting the ECP on fire, they noted, adding that now these ministers were being asked to decide on the appointment of the commissions’ members.

The opposition also expressed reservations over the government's decision to remove the MQM-P and PML-Q from the committee.

The steering committee would also liaise with the two parties on the ECP issue.

 Senator Kamil Ali Agha of the PML-Q had been replaced by Azam Nazir Tarar of the PML-N, while Senator Taj Haider of the PPP had replaced Khalida Ateeb of the MQM.

In its letter, the joint opposition informed the speaker about the correct method of legislation in a joint sitting of parliament.

The letter pointed out that the speaker had formed a committee on legislation on June 23 this year to consider the 21 bills passed by the National Assembly on June 10.

It noted that the government had not followed the procedure laid down for legislation on the bills.

It maintained that the committee had met thrice only -- on June 9, August 30 and September 9. However, it had not held a single meeting in the last eight weeks.

The opposition maintained that the government members’ lack of cooperation did not allow the terms of reference of the matter to be finalised.

The legal term of the proposed drafts expired and the Senate rejected them, it noted.

It added that the proposed legislation had been referred to a joint sitting of parliament and the committee formed for this purpose had now been rendered meaningless.

The opposition also proposed that the Committee on Legislative Business should consider the bills -- passed by the National Assembly but not by the Senate -- that had been referred to the joint sitting of parliament.