ISLAMABAD: Federal government has assured the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) of considering its ‘valid’ input in the government’s electoral reforms agenda, following a crucial meeting between Attorney General for Pakistan Khalid Jawed Khan and Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, while the government is unlikely to retract from its electoral reforms agenda. In the meeting, the AGP is said to have conveyed to CEC that government wants to take all stakeholders on board over its electoral reforms agenda.

Senior government officials told Business Recorder that government may bring some amendments in Elections (Amendment) Bill 2021 and Elections (Second Amendment) Bill 2021 that have been passed by the National Assembly and pending in Senate but it would not budge back from the electoral reforms agenda.

The CEC officials assured the AGP of ECP’s complete support over government’s plan to introduce Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in general elections and internet voting (i-voting) for overseas Pakistanis.

A cabinet member requesting anonymity said, “In the Constitution of Pakistan or even in election laws, there is no clause that binds the government to take ECP into confidence on any bill that deals with electoral matters, even if it directly concerns ECP.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021