-Hails PM’s efforts to curb corruption, illegal practices
-Sees PTI majority win in upcoming Senate polls
-PPP moves SC against open vote reference
By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz said on Tuesday that people opposing open ballot in Senate elections wanted a continuation of the corrupt system against which Prime Minister Imran Khan declared a war.
The information minister made his remarks where he further said that Pakistan was at an important juncture of history where a decision has to be made whether the public representatives reach the parliament on the basis of merit and capability or via “sale and purchase” of votes.
Earlier, the minister stressed that “sale and purchase” of votes and horse-trading cannot serve the Constitution and democracy. In a series of tweets on his official Twitter handle on February 8, the federal minister urged political parties and parliamentarians to support transparency in the election process. He said that this would strengthen democracy and enhance the prestige of parliament.
He said that those who become members of the upper house by “investing money” would put the protection of personal interest before the people. Shibli said that the mission of Prime Minister Imran Khan is to eradicate corruption from the country and ensure transparency. “The PTI will not back down in its struggle to achieve that goal.”
The statement came at a time when President Dr Arif Alvi on Saturday signed the Election Amendment Ordinance 2021 under which the upcoming Senate elections can be held through open ballot, triggering a debate in the country.
The opposition parties have raised their concern over the issue, saying that the government of PM Imran is trying to make the Senate elections controversial.
However, the opposition’s hopes were dampened on Monday when Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed while hearing the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam’s (JUI-F) petition filed against the Election Amendment Ordinance observed that no one can stop the government from promulgating the ordinance.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, during a press conference in Karachi earlier today, said that his party would participate in the elections despite it being an open ballot one but would challenge it in the court.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Tuesday filed a petition with the Supreme Court against the presidential reference seeking the apex court’s opinion on the open vote for the Upper House in the forthcoming elections. The petition requested the apex court to return the reference as the Senate elections are to be held under Article 226 of the Constitution. “A proposal [bill] of 26th Constitutional Amendment has been pending in the National Assembly,” the petition said.
According to the petition, the government has changed its stance after failing in its attempt to amend the Constitution. “The government has filed the presidential reference [in the SC] to achieve its political objectives,” the petition insisted.
The petition was moved by PPP leader Farhatullah Babar. The reference was filed in the court by Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Javed Khan, under Article 186 of the Constitution, invoking the court’s advisory jurisdiction.
The reference sought an interpretation of Article 226 that stated that all elections under the Constitution, other than those of the prime minister and chief ministers, shall be held through a secret ballot.
Article 186 of the Constitution states that “If, at any time, the President considers that it is desirable to obtain the opinion of the Supreme Court on any question of law which he considers of public importance, he may refer the question to the Supreme Court for consideration. “The Supreme Court shall consider a question so referred and report its opinion on the question to the President,” the article further stated.
