by Javaid-ur-Rahman in The Nation, Nov 20, 2020
ISLAMABAD – The PTI’s senior lawmakers, in upcoming National Assembly session, may formally invite the joint opposition for introducing electronic voting in the country by amending rules in electoral reforms.
The government side would try to take opposition into confidence for initiating constitutional amendments in both the houses of the parliament. As Prime Minister Imran Khan the other day [Wednesday] announced that his government will introduce an electronic voting system in the country to ensure free and fair elections.
On the other hand, the opposition has made up its mind not to enter into dialogue with the government on any issue. “Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has decided to send this government packing at any cost. We will not hold sitting with the present regime on any issue,” said PML-N’s senior leader Ahsan Iqbal, talking to The Nation.
“What to talk about the proposal floated by the Prime Minister, we (PDM) will not accept this government’s move to bring amendment in electoral reforms,” he remarked. Another opposition member said that this government had insulted the norms of the parliament by bulldozing legislative business. The seriousness of the government can be gauged from its U-turns on many matters, he said.
The incumbent government has been facing much difficulty in introducing any legislative business in the house due to strong resistance from the opposition side. The opposition even on national and other matters hardly accepted the government’s request to jointly adopt any resolution in the lower house of the parliament.
Ahsan Iqbal says PDM will not hold sitting with present regime on any issue
The opposition in the previous session of the national assembly, against the rules, had tried to move its resolution in the house which was not adopted by the chair.
The previous sessions of the national assembly had also witnessed uproar almost every day, as the opposition members kept trying to disrupt the proceedings with different tactics. The Deputy Speaker of the national assembly had even briefly expelled one opposition member from PPP-P from the house for continuously violating the norms of the house.
Speaker national assembly Asad Qaiser, in order to create a cordial atmosphere in the house, had recently twice invited opposition to hold discussion on various matters but the opposition refused to attend any meeting. Even the opposition refused to sit with the government on national security matters, which consequently compelled the speaker of the national assembly to postpone the important meeting.
Political pundits viewed that the government side would try to involve the opposition to introduce electoral reforms in the country. The government side, before introducing any formal bill on electoral reforms, would formally ask the opposition to cooperate with them for conducting transparent elections in the country.
The opposition has also objections with the speaker national assembly for not giving their due time in the house, whereas the chair has claimed to give comparatively more time to speak to the opposition than treasury benches on point of orders.
The upcoming session of the national assembly is expected in a couple of days, in which the government would try to dispose of pending legislative business. The upcoming session of the national assembly would last for two weeks. https://nation.com.pk/20-Nov-2020/ppp-opposes-senate-elections-through-show-of-hands
