PTI chairperson Imran Khan along with party leaders. PHOTO: INP
After getting a lukewarm response from the main opposition party in the Parliament over its electoral reforms project, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has started weighing its options.
Sources told The Express Tribune on Saturday that the PTI was considering various alternatives – including introducing a bill in the National Assembly for electoral reforms.
The PTI had approached the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) some two weeks ago in order to muster support and put pressure on the government over alleged rigging in the 2013 general elections.
The party is holding rallies across the country over the issue and has also demanded that members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) voluntarily step down as they had failed to hold free and fair elections in the country.
The PPP had agreed with the PTI to join hands to the extent of working on electoral reforms in the country but had fallen short of supporting its demand for resignations of ECP members.
Interestingly, only a few days before the meeting between leaders of the two parties, leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah had also demanded that the ECP members step down.
However, a meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and former president and PPP’s co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari helped in changing the stance of the main opposition party.
On the other hand, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) had endorsed the PTI’s viewpoint and nominated its three members for the committee proposed by the PTI for working on electoral reforms.
The three-member team of the PTI including its Vice President Shah Mahmood Qureshi, President Javed Hashmi and General Secretary Jehangir Tareen had held meetings with leaders of both the parties on May 14 when the PPP had said it would nominate two members for the committee.
However, that did not happen. When contacted for confirmation, PTI Vice President Qureshi said the PPP had not nominated any member as yet. Sources said the PPP was perhaps shying away therefore the PTI was considering tabling a bill on the subject.
According to Qureshi, the committee proposed by the PTI was supposed to examine existing laws, to develop a course of action on the basis of the 2013 general elections and to develop national consensus on electoral reform.
The PML-Q had nominated two of its members for the committee, Senator Kamil Ali Agha and Tariq Bashir Cheema, while the PTI had nominated Dr Arif Alvi and Shafqat Mehmood.
Syed Khursheed Shah from the PPP, however, said his party would announce two members after consultation.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 1st, 2014.
COMMENTS (47)
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@gohar khan: Parliment is not at all in favour of electoral reforms. They know their performance very well and they also know the acceptence of PTI in people. They know they can never come in govt again through free and fair elections. People have rejected now their traditional politics and their outdated philosophies. Opposition is also standing with govt, so the only way to put pressure on the govt ,for electoral reforms, is to conduct " jalsas". No matter who is saying right , what is rights , this is the point of consideration. Electoral reforms are very important . Free, fair and transparent elections are the only way to sucess of Democracy in Pakistan.
Mr. Khan is taking the role of "opposition" too literally. Being in the opposition does NOT mean that you have to oppose EVERYTHING.
MR ik this the democratic way to undress the opponent !
I support PTI on this. Electoral reforms are crucial otherwise future of democracy is blur.
@Saeed Very well written and aptly put!
People contempt with electoral system and contempt with government does reflects that we are scared of merit and change in political dynasties. Forget PTI as they have failed to perform, no other group then PPP/PML N can win majority in Elections.
I am sure our liberals would have a problem with this democratic right of exercise as well by PTI.
@Aik_Paki: I use my own my as well. I dont trust blindly. I keep my eyes open. I voted for PTI and I am ashamed of it. Imran should learn to speak truth. He always tells ie.
Win in punjab only and lead pakistan.what a democrasy.
PTI will lose even after electoral reforms because this party has no roots in public.
Why public rallies then???
Reforms are needed in PTI. First reform is to change the leadership who is always busy in abusing others.
These forces of status-quo (PML-N and PPP) has their survival at stake and they will NEVER bring transparency into election process. You doing a great job IK; Let's keep them occupied in all fronts knowingly that they will ONLY budge to the pressure emanating from the streets.
@FAISAL: You are just pretending. A PTI supporters cannot change based on your reasoning and the good work (as you say) of N-league during 2013-14.
pml N will not allow such reforms along with PPPP
Where PTI won, there was no rigging haha
I think even if the reforms tabled by PTI become a law and PTI loses the next election, it will again be a hue a cry by Imran because he wants to be the Pime Minister. Agar mein Wazir e Azam hota.
@Jamal Khan: Bhai...if pmln won cleanly...they should welcome verification of votes happily. After all it will only strengthen their position. Right? So I wonder why they are so opposed to verification...and that too in only four halqas?
@Ali: Please try to have some constitutional knowledge first. PML(N) or its government has no authority to instruct Election Commission of Pakistan, which is an independent consitutional body. Imran should have staged his Dharnas in front of ECP than Dhobi Ghaat. He was protesting on behalf of dark forces but thanks God, came to his senses after learning about their agenda in London. This is the reason he has decided to table electoral reforms in NA and has prefered to stay with his sons rather than with representatives of dark forces.
After watching his dismal support in public, Imran Khan has come to his senses which is also a sign of maturity. We strongly hope that in his late seventies, he will become a very mature politician.
I see all the paid sheep of the traditional parties are getting no recommendations: what a surprise?
@Jahanzeb: tyhe whole nation rejected MQM PPP and PMLN. And majority voted for PTI. But those nasty old mafia parties changed the votes. So many videos were made. Were you sleeping or day dreaming?
@Saeed, You are 100% right. Any electable who wants to join PTI, can do so easily. No one in PTI thinks about his past, character, expertise and achievements. Imran took many people of other parties in PTI before May 2013 elections as there was no entry barrier. That is why entire nation rejected PTI. I salute Pakistani nation.
Great to see the rational approach from PTI first time, This is the way how matter should be dealt... With negotiation not with protest and devastation...
Lame excuses by Imran and party. They lost and they will always lose. People rejected PTI and now PTI should respect the mandate of PML-N given by public. PTI's protest is the insult of those who voted for PML-N. This is the insult of voters and democracy.
@Omer: If PTI loses even after reforms??? I certainly believe that PTI can never win elections. They don't have any potentioal. Nothing improvement in KPK affairs.
PMLN and PPP knows bringing Election reforms would be suicide attack on their Politics. They will never let it happened though Election reforms are cortical for the fate of Pakistan.
Now what will be the answer of N-League supporters...If N-Leagues has public support then why they are not opening 4 constituencies only...To show the world they believe on Merit.
Why would PPP support traitors?
@Sami: so what do u suggest? as it seems (from ur email) that you are fed up of all the major parties!!.Surely moving forward means getting rid of a rotten system which only supports despots
I have no idea why anyone would would disagree to electoral reforms? Except when your personal interests are more important than the interests of Pakistan.
No hope from PTI. Imran can only protest, accuse and abuse others. He has done nothing constructive in politics.
I always supported PTI but I cannot support every move of Imran blindly. One use use his own mind as well. It is a fact that all independent international surveys (IRI, Gallup and Economist) forecasted PML-n victory in May 2013 elections. PML-n victory was not a surprise. I voted for PTI but I was not expecting that PTI is in a position to win the elections. There were hundreds of constituencies in Sindh and Baluchistan where PTI had no candidate. Now Imran Khan is blaming electoral process and other factors the reason of PTI's defeat. I think this is not fair.
I have been convinced to believe that we did not select our Prime Ministers since 1970. It was also done in advance. All the millions and billions of people who stood is long lines to vote for his or her candidate was all a hoax. Coz the results were already decided by rigging! I wont vote the next time if this Election Reform is not made similar to US or India.
Imrans agenda for progress, development and betterment of the party for the next five years: weeping. Hes only power hungry.
PML-N won the elections because youth voted for PML-N. Whatever reforms are made, youth will continue voting for PML-N. Youth does not want politics of agitation. Political stability is the need of the hour. Imran's politics may destabilize the political system in Pakistan. Since the start of PML-N government, stock exchange was performing very well and investment started coming in Pakistan. But Stock Exchange has come down after start of PTI's baseless protests. Imran should visualize the consequences of his politics of protesting.
PTI have to lose in all cases, whether electoral reforms are made or not. All efforts being made by IK are just to hide his failure in KPK. If PTI loses next elections even after reforms, then they will demand more reforms that suit their needs. First of all, reforms are needed in PTI. Why did PTI welcome all politicians who wanted to join PTI before May 2013 elections? Where was vision, ideology and merit of PTI? PTI only needed electables and all were welcomed. What is this? It means that Imran did not have confidence in himself and his team. I also joined PTI but later on I left this party. What objectives can Imran achieve with gathering traditional politicians in his party? All of us know the faces who served in Musharraf Cabinet and Zardari Cabinet. Today they are part of PTI. We can never forget the U Turns taken by Imran just for his personal interest. He just thinks about himself and Pakistan is not his priority.
If bill was to be brought in the assembly, what was the need of useless public rallies? Dirty politics of PTI.
Basically, if there are no reforms pml n and ppp will always be in power and pti will never win a majority. Media needs to get behind pti's stance of electoral reform. Otherwise the future of this country is very depressing.
Why isn't Imran Khan pushing for electronic voting machines for the next general election? Electronic voting machines are the only way forward for transparent, free and fair elections. If they are not introduced next time around the status quo parties will rule again through electoral fraud and rigging. And the likes of Saad Rafique will be in office again and PTI on the sidelines again.
it is quite clear that PPP & PMLN are going to protect each other, in such a scenario there will be no electoral reforms nor there will be any progress as far as corruption, of all sorts, is concerned. I think PTI should table this bill so that nobody can point fingers at them that they're protesting without going through the proper legal channel, once that is done & they get no response from anywhere then PTI can launch a long march, & they'll surely have huge support by the end of the year with the way things are right now.
Electrol reforms will not be in intrest of PPP and PML(N). Current electrol system works in their favour to get elected and keep power within the family so they will never support electrol reforms. These two parties only care about hanging on to power and does not give two hoots for people of this country. They talk about democracy but does not support real democracy.
No one wants electoral reforms except PTI because they are afraid of losing on every polling station. People have become Fed up of PPP and PML-N.
Electoral reforms are critical. If there is a barrier then use the tsunami force. I cant believe when NS saysche does not understand what the problem is with IK protests