'Opposition's suggestions on electoral reforms will be welcomed'

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said on Thursday that the suggestions of the opposition on electoral reforms will be welcomed.

"I urge the opposition once again to come to the speaker's office instead of the court. Just understand the [electronic voting machines] EVM system first. All your concerns will be addressed," the information minister said in a tweet.

Referring to the passage of the bill granting overseas Pakistanis the right to vote, the minister said that the PTI government will not back out from it as this was the party's election promise. 

Read: Legislation bonanza

Fawad's remarks came a day after the government and its allies pulled off a victory against the opposition during a joint sitting of the parliament by succeeding in passing the bills that pave the way for holding the next general elections in the country through the use of EVMs and giving around nine million overseas Pakistanis the right to cast their votes in the 2023 polls.

Surprisingly, the legislation pertaining to the electoral reforms -- The Election (Amendment) Bill, 2021 -- was deferred and only the bills related to using the EVMs and enabling overseas Pakistanis to cast votes were passed.

Describing the politics of Sharif and Zardari families as a thing of the past, Fawad added that now new players in the opposition also need to come forward.

"Next two years will decide the politics of the next two decades of Pakistan's history," he said.