Staff Reporter Islamabad
Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif urged Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja on Friday to ensure broad-based consensus on electoral reforms.
“Any election-related legislation must be based on broad-based consensus. For meaningful electoral reforms, institutions have to ensure stakeholders’ input and ownership.
The spirit of upholding the constitution must be at the center of the reform plan,” Shehbaz said in a letter addressed to the CEC.
“In view of the complaints of rigging in the 2018 Elections, there is a dire need for evolving a national consensus on electoral reforms to ensure that next general elections are held in fair, free and transparent manner, without any interference,” he added.
The Pakistan Muslim League-N chief observed that the, “Present government’s unilateral actions to force its electoral reforms agenda without any consultation with the stakeholders, which conflicts with many constitutional provisions, will make future
elections controversial.”
He highlighted that the Election Commission of Pakistan had itself “expressed serious concerns regarding the recent election bills bulldozed through the National Assembly in an objectionable manner.”
The opposition leader further stated that, “Any
election-related legislation must be based on broad-based consensus.
