Staff Reporter Islamabad
Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan has said Prime Minister Imran Khan is committed to grant the right of vote to the overseas Pakistanis and termed formula presented by President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shehbaz Sharif as a fraud.
Addressing a joint press conference with Minister for State on Information Farrukh Habib here Monday, he said that the right to vote is a fundamental right of the overseas Pakistanis.
He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan and his coalition partners believe in supremacy of constitution and rule of law.
He said Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif wants to deprive overseas Pakistanis of their right to cast votes. “He wants that 10 million Pakistanis living abroad should have no say in political affairs of the country of their origin,” Babar remarked.
He said article 8, 17 and 106 (2) guaranteed the right to vote to overseas Pakistanis, and that Shehbaz’s suggestion could not snatch this right from those Pakistanis living abroad. “Wherever, Pakistanis are living they have a right to cast votes,” he said emphatically.
Article 8 prohibited legislation against the teachings of Quran and Sunnah and also against the basic human rights of citizens of Pakistan.
“Another thing I want to say is that the opposition parties raised objections to the budget without reading the document,” he said, and added, “And later, they only suggested cut motions.”
Adviser to PM claimed contrary to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government which had a firm belief in the supremacy of parliament, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif had twice refused to accept the supremacy of parliament during the last two weeks. He further said that the government was keeping its doors open for a dialogue with the opposition.
