Senate, NA body to examine ECP-proposed amends in poll law
Pakistan
ECP wants powers to announce elections date unilaterally
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – An eight-member Senate and National Assembly committee will examine the proposals given by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to change the election laws.
Using his ‘residuary powers’ under the rules, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani made this committee after receiving letter from the electoral watchdog.
In the letter, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja had suggested that the parliament should do legislation to do away with the president’s role in determining date for general elections. The CEC had also sent a similar letter to National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf.
Same letters, signed by ECP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan, were also dispatched to the principal secretary to the prime minister and secretary for parliamentary affairs.
The ECP had proposed amendments to Sections 57(1) and 58 of the Elections Act 2017, reportedly stating that the commission wanted its power back to announce and alter election schedule at any stage without any intervention by a third party.
The Senate Secretariat notification said the committee was formed in exercise of powers given by Rule 264 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, 2012. The chairman had formed the committee in consultation with the National Assembly speaker “to examine the amendments proposed by the ECP in the Elections Act, 2017,” reads the letter dated April 10.
The committee comprised four members each from the Senate and the National Assembly. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Murtaza Javed Abbasi, both belon¬ging to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), will be the ex-officio members of the committee.
The committee comprises Senator Ali Zafar of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Senator Kamran Murtaza of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F), Senator Taj Haider of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), independent Senator Dilawar Khan, PTI dissident MNA Dr Afzal Dhandla, Commerce Minister and PPP leader Syed Naveed Qamar, Mohsin Nawaz Ranjha of PML-N and Sabir Kaimkhani of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).
PTI’s Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry alleged that Senate chairman had constituted the committee without seeking the consent of his party. He, however, said that the party would make a decision about participation or boycott of the committee after in-house consultations.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has suggested parliament to approve legislation empowering it to announce a date for the general elections.
