Electoral process: Conduct of Senate elections raises serious question mark: Speaker

ISLAMABAD: Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser said on Thursday that recent conduct of Senate elections raised a serious question mark on the electoral process and he would form a Parliamentary Committee after consultation with the parliamentary leaders in National Assembly and Senate.

For the purpose of constituting a parliamentary committee on electoral reforms, the Speaker National Assembly has written letters to the Parliamentary Leaders in National Assembly and Senate for consultation and nominating their members for the Committee.

An important meeting was also held between Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjarani and Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser, in which the latter took the former into confidence on the formation of a Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms.

It was decided in the meeting that the Committee would consist of the Parliamentary heads of the Senate and the National Assembly.

It may be recalled that Prime Minister Imran Khan had written a letter to the Speaker of the National Assembly yesterday to form a Parliamentary Committee.

Later, Senator Shibli Faraz and Ch. Fawad Hussian, Minister for Science and Technology called on Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser on Thursday evening.

They met Speaker with reference to the letter of Prime Minister written to Speaker National Assembly regarding constitution of Parliamentary Committee for electoral reforms.

Speaker Asad Qaiser said that recent conduct of senate elections had raised a serious question mark on the electoral process. He said that happenings in that regard had necessitated revamping of the entire electoral process. He said that he would form the Committee after consultation with the Parliamentary Leaders in National Assembly and Senate. He said that transparency in the electoral process would strengthen the democracy and democratic institutions.

Senator Shibli Faraz said that the conduct of senate election had substantiated the apprehensions of the Prime Minister on election transparency. He said that the review of the electoral laws would ensure transparency in the future electoral process.

Ch. Fawad Hussain said that electoral reforms and use of latest technology would ensure transparency.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021