ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has convened its meeting on October 12 to formulate its strategy against the government move to get the electoral reforms legislation passed from the joint sitting of the parliament, despite strong reservation by the opposition.
The meeting of the nine-party opposition alliance would be held in Islamabad to be chaired by its president Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Quaid and former premier Nawaz Sharif would participate in the meeting via a video link from London, while senior leadership of the component parties would also participate in the meeting.
PDM sources said that the meeting would deliberate upon the prevailing political situation of the country, the government’s plan to pass the electoral reforms bill from the joint session of the parliament, and the skyrocketing inflation, besides deciding about the future course of action with regard to the anti-government movement.
On Wednesday, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser referred seven bills, including two controversial electoral reforms bills and the one to provide right of appeal to Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, to the joint sitting of the parliament.
The bills also included the Elections (Amendment) Bill 2021which aims at introducing electronic voting machines (EVMs) in next general election and I-voting for overseas Pakistanis, and the Elections (Third Amendment) Ordinance, 2021, aimed at de-seating PML-N senator Ishaq Dar.
In a statement, PDM spokesperson Hafiz Hamdullah said that the opposition alliance has already rejected the electoral reforms including the proposed EVMs by the government.
“There is no justification of electoral reforms by a government which came into power through rigging,” he maintained, adding that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), as a constitutional body has already raised 37 reservations over EVMs.
He further alleged that using EVMs in the upcoming general elections is a tactic to steal the elections.
“PDM will never let the “selected” government steal elections through using EVMs,” he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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