Ruling allies, opposition oppose amendment to Section 230 of Election Act, 2017
Pakistan
Raza Rabbani said role of caretaker government was different from that of an elected government.
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - Senators from Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), allies in the ruling coalition, and the opposition PTI on Tuesday opposed an amendment to Section 230 of the Election Act 2017 that were announced by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which relates to the functions of a caretaker government.
The PML-N proposed amendment is being brought (to the Constitution) to empower the caretaker setup to take important decisions like an elected government does. The amendment is among several others being proposed to the elections laws ahead of polls scheduled to take place later this year.
Speaking during the joint session of the Parliament on Tuesday, PPP senator Raza Rabbani objected to changes to Section 230 of Election Act, 2017 and said that the role of the caretaker government was “very different” from that of an elected government.
He said that the caretaker government is an unelected government and come for a limited period for the purpose of carrying out day-to-day business of the government and which has been nominated for the sole purpose of holding free and fair elections.
Senator Kamran Murtaza of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), another ally of the government in the Centre, also said that amendments to Section 230 were not under discussion in the parliamentary committee. He said that running the government was the job of elected representatives and not caretakers. PTI Senator Ali Zafar echoed Murtaza’s views, adding that the parliamentary committee had a very “positive debate” but it had not discussed Section 230 of Election Act, 2017.
On the other hand, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar while speaking in the Joint Sitting of the House said that the parliamentary committee on Electoral Reforms has prepared a consensus report for amendments in the Election Act with aim to ensure transparency in electoral process.
He said we performed this task in the national interest and nothing has been kept under the carpet. He pointed out that the Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms, headed by Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, had representation from all the political parties.
Sharing some points of the report, the Law Minister said it has been proposed that the presiding officer on the Election Day will transmit a snapshot of Form-45 to the Returning Officer and the Election Commission of Pakistan. He said it has been compulsory for the Presiding Officer to transmit election results by 2 a.m. and in case of any delay the Presiding Officer concerned will have to explain the reasons. He said aspiring candidates can use their bank accounts for their election related expenditure.
The Law Minister further said the report also proposes that the Election Observers will be accredited by the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Responding to points raised by different members, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said the sanctity of legislation warrants that due procedure is followed. He, however, said the elements should not give us lectures, who used to bulldoze bills when they were in power. He recalled that 54 bills were passed in just one minute during the previous regime.
The Joint Sitting of the Parliament today passed “The Qanun-e-Shahadat (Amendment) Bill, 2023”, “The Control of Narcotics Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2023” and “The Petroleum (Amendment) Bill, 2023.”
