ISLAMABAD – The joint session of parliament on Wednesday approved the Elections Act, 2017 [The Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2021] that allows the use of electronic voting machines in elections and gives voting rights to overseas Pakistanis.
The legislation bills were widely opposed by the Opposition members during the session as they tore copies of the agenda and walk out of the session in protest.
Opposition lawmakers also gathered around the treasury benches, raising slogans against Prime Minister Imran Khan and his government.
As the session began, Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif opposed the use of electronic voting machines, terming them “evil and vicious machines”. He also accused the government of not being sincere in efforts to develop consensus on electoral reforms.
He termed the government and its allies move to bulldoze important bills “illegal” and said that it was equivalent to damaging the traditions of parliament.
Earlier today, Shehbaz had written a letter to National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser conveying his grievances about the haste in approving the bills without a consensus. He said that initially the joint parliament session was delayed after the government said it wanted to consult the matter with the Opposition.
“You sent a letter to me and the whole joint opposition,” Shehbaz said, adding that in response he sent a comprehensive reply with “great suggestions”. “But speaker, you canceled your contact and we received no answer from you.”
He urged the speaker to play his role honestly.
Commenting on the government proposal for consultations, he said that it was a tactic to buy time so the government could secure the votes it needed to approve the bills.
He said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is responsible for conducting fair and transparent elections, adding that the top electoral body had already expressed concerns about the use of EVMs.
Addressing the session, PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari lashed out at the government for approving the bills without developing any consensus on it.
He recalled that the PML-N had two-third majority in NA during their tenure. “If they had decided to introduce a Constitutional amendment, then we would have to accept the legislation. But they achieved a consensus,” he said.
