Staff Reporter Peshawar
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Senator Shibli Faraz here Thursday said the people have got disenchanted with the negative politics of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and defeat in the forthcoming Senate election would be a final nail in its’ s coffin.
Talking to media at provincial election commission office on occasion of scrutiny of his nomination papers for Senate election, the Information Minister said opposition parties have united against open balloting because it did not serve their vested interests.
He maintained that opposing open balloting was tantamount to encouraging horse-trading, corruption and sale and purchase of votes as witnessed in the past.
The Minister reminded that it was quite ironical that major opposition parties PPP and PMLN have reached consensus in Charter of Democracy (COD) to introduce legislation for open balloting for senate election but now they are opposing it tooth and nail to serve their ill designs.
He said the Government’s electoral reforms including open balloting would help ensure transparency during the senate election besides strengthen democracy in the country. Shibli Faraz said open balloting procedure would help discourage menace of horse-trading, corruption and sale and purchase of votes.
He said PTI Government has taken practical measures for ensuring transparency during senate election and introduced open balloting procedure so that competent and candidates of integrity could be elected as senators to make legislations for solution of people’s problems and the country’s interests.
He said democracy derived strength from free and transparent election and no one would be allowed for horse-trading in senate elections. The Minister said PTI would get all seats from KP according to its strength in the provincial assembly. To a question about media reports regarding Maryam Nawaz’s foreign departure, the Minister clarified that the government has adopted zero tolerance against corruption and no one would be given NRO like concession.
Senator Shibli Faraz opined that right to vote to oversees Pakistanis through electronic voting system would help strengthen democracy. He said KP was a stronghold of PTI as it was the only party that came into power as result of people’s mandate for second consecutive time on the basis of its performance and it reflected people’s confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Expressing gratitude to the Prime Minister Imran Khan for reposing confidence in him for awarding senate ticket again, Shibli Faraz said he would utilize all his energy to address people’s problems. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan loved people of Pakistan especially of KP from core of his heart and KP become the first province in the country’s history where its people have access to best free healthcare facilities under Sehat Card Program.
