Cruising with amendments

It was a day of reckoning for the ruling party as it was able to realise one of the biggest points on its manifesto. The amendment legislated in the Constitution, in a joint sitting of the parliament, enables overseas Pakistanis to vote and introduces electronic voting machines in the next general elections. The fact that the government successfully passed 33 bills, including two opposition-sponsored bills, as well as many of the amendments, in cohesion with its allies is a tribute to representative politics. Notwithstanding the reservations vehemently expressed by the opposition, it goes without saying that parliamentary democracy got a shot in the arm and the stigma of legislating through ordinance was interned.

At the same time though, the treasury benches strategy to bulldoze a host of legislations through a joint sitting of both the houses reflects the inherent weakness in power politics, and gives birth to an irksome environment. But again the ruling dispensation believes that it was an outcome of lack of response to its initiatives on national issues, in terms of amending the Constitution, from the opposition and the Westminster dictum had its way.

The electoral amendments will go down in history as a landmark achievement. It has literally empowered the right to vote, and that too by embracing modern technology. This is meant to get rid of rigging in elections — and to ensure the sanctity of the ballot. The opposition, however, argues that the amendment wasn’t as per rules of procedure as the treasury fell one vote short of actual strength of both chambers. The government says according to Article 72 of the Constitution, its simple majority was as per law. The Speaker too ruled that the Constitution held precedence over the Rules of Business, and thus opposition’s intention to move the court of law are playing to the gallery.

Tuesday’s session was one of the robust in terms of legislation under the PTI government. It negated to a large extent the impression that the parliament has been put on the backburner, and there is no thrust on law making. Amendments in the law on SBP regulations, IC J, women empowerment and several corporate and government departments have set the momentum of good governance rolling.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 19^th, 2021.

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