report in The News, Dec 16, 2020
ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to hold the Senate elections in February instead of March 2021, sources told Geo News.
The decision was taken on Tuesday during a federal cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan. The government has decided to use “open voting” for the elections, added the sources.
Addressing a post-cabinet meeting press conference, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government was striving to make the Senate elections free and fair.
“Controversies have always surrounded the Senate elections. It is such an old practice that it is assumed that in the elections, [horse trading] will surely take place,” he said.
Reminding the people of the PTI promise to bring about reforms in the electoral process, he said Prime Minister Imran Khan had dismissed 20 members of provincial assemblies on the issue. He said the Supreme Court had issued a short order regarding free and fair elections, following which the government had introduced a bill in the National Assembly. He said that the government mulled over getting the bill ratified through several means, either through a constitutional amendment, executive order, or the election commission.
After pondering over the matter, the government decided to move the apex court regarding the matter, he said, adding that the government seeks an election that is conducted through “show of hands”.
Later, the federal government decided it would file a reference under Article 186 of the Constitution in the Supreme Court (SC) to get its legal opinion on holding of Senate elections through show of hands or open vote, sources told The News on Tuesday……..
Meanwhile, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Tuesday rejected the idea of before time elections.
JUI-F General Secretary Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri said in a statement that his party would oppose holding of Senate elections before March 2021. He said Senate was a constitutional institution and its elections could not be held before time. He said the JUI-F would foil the conspiracy to hold Senate election before time. He said half of the Senate members would retire in March, after which elections would be held for new members. He said the government had got so much panicked that it was taking unconstitutional steps. However, he added, it would fail in its designs.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/759119-govt-seeks-senate-polls-in-feb
