The National Assembly on Monday passed Election Law (Amendment) Bill, 2010 amid walk out protest by major opposition party - Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), accusing the government of bulldozing the bill.
The Bill makes it mandatory for a voter to produce his/her National Identity Card (NIC) issued by National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) for casting vote besides ensuring free, fair and transparent elections in the country.
The House passed the Bill, which was moved by Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khursheed Shah, however, PML-N staged walk out from the House, which wanted the bill to be referred to concerned committee for further consideration. The PML-N also proposed some amendments in the legislation, which the House rejected with majority.
In its statement of objects and reasons the bill stated that in order to hold free, fair and transparent elections, to ensure security and integrity of the database of electoral rolls and to bring the provisions in conformity with the Constitution as amended by the constitution (Eighteenth Amendment) Act, 2010, certain amendments are being proposed in the Electoral Rolls Act, 1974 (Act XXI of 1974) and the Representation of the People Act, 1976 (Act LXXXV of 1976).
The amendments include production of CNIC by the voter issued by NADRA as mandatory for casting vote, substitution of "Election Commission" in place of "Chief Election Commissioner" were required, disclosure of secret information or data by an employee of Commission to be punishable with imprisonment up to five years or fine up to five million rupees, or both and adoption of local commission system for recording of evidence for speedy trial of election petitions by the Election Tribunals.
Leader of the Opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, earlier, leaving the House in protest followed by other members of PML-N, had raised serious questions on the non-partiality of NADRA. "The chairman of the NADRA is a crony of President Zardari and in such a situation you can't call it (NADRA) as a non-partial", he said, adding that a bid has been made in his own constituency to make 31,000 fake CNICs. He said that though Senate has passed the bill, it was not mandatory on the National Assembly to pass the unchanged.
Earlier, speaking on the bill, Syed Khursheed said that the bill would ensure free, fair and transparent elections in the country, besides helping to control rigging and registration of bogus voters from voters' list of ECP. He said that the upcoming government would have real mandate of the people, as there would be no bogus vote in next general elections after computerisation of voter list, adding that nobody would dare topple the government.
He revealed that around 37 million bogus votes were polled in last general elections and most of the votes were reported from different areas of Punjab.
Responding to the opposition to refer the bill to the concerned committee, Khursheed Shah said that the said bill remained under discussion for three months in Senate and was approved unanimously. He further said that it also remained on agenda of the House for eight days and urged the National Assembly that the law should be passed.
Regarding the role of NADRA, Shah said the authority played an imperative role during registration of internally displaced persons of Malakand and Swat and flood affected people and transparent disbursement of relief money and not a single complaint was received.
However, PML-N leader Zahid Hamid strongly opposed the bill in the present shape and proposed some amendments besides demanding to refer it back to the standing committee for further consideration. He said that the reservations of his party were not entertained.
Supporting the bill, MQM parliamentary leader Farooq Sattar said that all the political and non-governmental organisations wanted there should be criteria to verify the identification of the voters and the bill is a right step in this regard. However, he also proposed to address the concerns of the leader of the opposition besides its passage.
He suggested that a parliamentary committee should be formed to look into 37 million bogus votes polled during last general election. Sattar said that there should be representation of all political parties in the parliamentary committee on judges' appointment. PML-Q chief whip Riaz Hussain Pirzada also supported the bill but suggested that the concerns of the leader of opposition regarding registration of fake voters should be addressed. He said that the matter should be referred to the parliamentary committee.
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