SC guidance to be sought on constitutional amendment for show of hands in Senate elections: Shibli
- The government had already tabled a bill in the National Assembly on the basis of the apex court's short order in that regard, he added.
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibil Faraz on Tuesday said the Federal Cabinet had decided to seek guidance from the Supreme Court on the constitutional amendment for ‘show of hands’ instead of 'secret balloting' in the Senate election.
Addressing a press briefing Shibli Faraz said various options for reforming the Senate election process, including a constitutional amendment, executive order and others, came under discussion in the Federal Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan.
“It was decided that under Article 186 of the Constitution, we will seek the Supreme Court's guidance on introducing the ‘show of hands’ during the Senate elections,” he said.
The government had already tabled a bill in the National Assembly on the basis of the apex court's short order in that regard, he added.
The minister expressed the hope that the government would manage to get SC's guidance on the matter before the Senate elections, which were scheduled to be held next year. All out efforts would be made to get the bill passed from the National Assembly.
The opposition would hopefully support the legislation as it was beneficial for all the political parties, he added.
Shibli Faraz said the Senate elections had always remained controversial in the past with allegations of horse-trading hurled on all occasions, so reforms were much needed to abolish such practices in future.
Prime Minister Imran Khan, he said, fully believed in transparency as he had expelled his own party members for such activities. Following the prime minister’s vision of ensuring transparent elections in the country, the government had already given some suggestion for electoral reforms, he added.
He said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was committed to bring more transparency in the electoral process and its government was the first in Pakistan's history that had taken such initiatives. No other government had ever taken such steps, he added.
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