Imran rejects passage of 20th Amendment

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan on Tuesday criticised Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for the passage of 20th Constitutional Amendment from the parliament, terming it a worst kind of horse trading by between the two mainstream political parties.
"The PTI rejects the 20th Constitutional Amendment, as it violated the spirit of the constitution and democratic principles," Khan said. The PTI chief came down harsh on PML-N, the main opposition political party, saying that it always acting friendly when it comes to lawmaking.
He said the PML-N continues to play out the farce of being an opposition in the centre whereas in reality it is validating the wrongdoings of the government so that both could share the fruits of prevailing corrupt power structure. According to Khan, the release of Rs 366.1 million uplift funds to Senators within five hours was aimed at smooth sailing of 20th Amendment Bill through the Senate, which depicts the shameful antics of the country's legislators.
He said the government had no money to undertake development schemes in restive Balochistan province and giving relief to the common citizen in terms of fuel and utility prices but money is readily available for bribery and corruption. Khan declared that the 20th Amendment itself flouts the Constitution as it condones elections carried out against the provisions of the Constitution. First, the government commits a violation of the constitution, he added, then it brings a constitutional amendment to condone the wrongdoings.
"Frankly speaking a complete fraud has been committed by the government in collusion with the main opposition party [PML-N]," he maintained. The PTI chairman further said that the 20th Amendment also overlooked the existence of bogus voters since the elections it seeks to regularise had the participation of the bogus voters identified by the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
On the issue of the caretaker government, Khan objected that the 20th Amendment was against the PTI in particular, which was becoming a real electoral threat to both the PPP and the PML-N. He said that the appointment of the caretaker prime minister/chief ministers is all in the hands of the partisan and biased prime minister/chief ministers and leader of the opposition, which will not allow a level playing field for other parties - especially the new and strong third force - PTI.
To make matters worse, the Election Commission itself will be as per the choice of the partisan and biased prime minister and leader of the opposition rather than being a truly democratic procedure through consultation of all the registered political parties, he added. Khan found it shocking that the Election Commission has been conferred the final authority to choose a caretaker prime minister/chief minister which is unheard anywhere in the democratic world.
The Election Commissions are meant to check governments during election process and ensure non-interference and strict neutrality, he said, adding that the Election Commission appointing a caretaker government will divest itself from performing its vital task of ensuring free, fair and transparent elections.
Imran declared that clearly the deal-making on the 20th Amendment by the PPP and PML-N has been done to fortify themselves against their fast dwindling power in the electorate and to try and stack the deck against the PTI in the next general elections.