Opposition to challenge EVM, Kulbhushan Jadhav and other bills in court

Opposition to challenge EVM, Kulbhushan Jadhav and other bills in court

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – After the approval of the Electoral Reforms Amendment Bill in the joint session of the parliament, the opposition has decided to challenge the passed bills including Kalbhushan Jadhav in the court.

Speaking to the journalists outside Parliament along with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, JUI-F leader Maulana Asad Mahmood and others, PML-N President and Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif said that today is the black day in the history of the parliament. “All the bills were bulldozed. The speaker did not listen to our even a single word,” he added.

“We told the speaker that you are misusing the authority, we think three to four votes of government people were counted more. Maulana Asad and Bilawal Bhutto went to the speaker but they did not listen. I and Bilawal Bhutto tried to a lot but the National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser did not listen to us.”

Shehbaz Sharif further said that the election commission rejected EVMs. “The rigged government was imposed and now they are imposing EVM on us but we will not allow. The objection of the opposition was not given importance so the bills including election amendment would be challenged in the court.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari

“We will go to every forum against the election amendment bill while we will challenge it in the Supreme Court. The government is forcefully showing its success but the joint opposition will challenge all bills including EVM, Kulbushan Jadhav and NRO in the Supreme Court (SC),” PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said.

Bilawal Bhutto also congratulated the joint opposition for defeating the government, adding that the government failed to fulfill its numbers and all are seeing towards the parliament but the government was defeated in the joint session of the parliament.

Maulana Asad Mahmood

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl leader Maulana Asad Mahmood said that they had already announced for not accepting unilateral legislation while the bills were passed through rigging. “Our members were not allowed to speak, legislation was enacted on the basis of coercion, the faces of government members were down today, they would go to every forum including the Supreme Court, if forced, then they would fight coercion.”

Ameer Haider Khan Hoti

Awami National Party (ANP) leader and former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti said that the speaker has become controversial, legislation was made in an unconstitutional manner and the government has made the upcoming election controversial. “Conducting elections is the job of the ECP, while the government left no choice but to go in the courts.”

Earlier, amid pandemonium from the opposition benches, the joint session of the Parliament on Wednesday approved three important bills including the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs), the Second Election Amendment Bill 2021, and the Kulbhushan Jadhav bill allowing him the right to appeal amid the hues and cry of the opposition.

According to the details garnered, the government proved its majority after the joint house approved a law by 221 to 203 votes to introduce EVMs in the next general elections.

Minutes later the joint session also approved some others bills. Under the legislation passed, Pakistanis living in other countries would be allowed to vote in the elections through I-Voting system.

At least 16 members of Parliament (MPs) from opposition parties remained absent during the voting. The absent opposition members included Naved Qamar, Akhtar Mengal, Ali Wazir, and Yousaf Talpur.

The joint session passed a bill to comply with the International Court of Justice ruling about Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav. Two Muslim family laws were also passed.

This prompted the opposition to tear copies of the agenda and walk out of the session in protest. Lawmakers also gathered around the treasury benches, chanting slogans against Prime Minister Imran Khan and his government.

Earlier, the bill on the use of EVMs was deferred at the request of Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan, but it was later taken up again and put up to a vote.

Opposition members later staged a walk out from the session, alleging that the vote count was rigged. They also tore up copies of the agenda.