Electoral reforms: National Assembly Speaker to set up 33-member parliamentary body on July 7

National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq will constitute a 33-member Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms on Monday (July 7, 2014) with the objective of preparing a comprehensive package of recommendations to ensure free, fair and transparent elections, it is learnt.
When the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) aggressively raised the issue of rigging in the general elections of May 2013, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had written a letter to the Speaker of National Assembly to constitute a parliamentary committee to propose amendments in the Constitution to make the electoral process free, fair and transparent.
The PTI threatened a 'million march' to Islamabad on August 14, 2014, for alleged rigging in May 3013 general elections unless its demands for electoral reforms are met. The sources revealed to this correspondent that backdoor channels were open between the government and the PTI and this explains a lowering of the political temperature.
Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah has given four names - Senators Aitejaz Ahsan, Mian Raza Rabbani, Naveed Qamar and Shazia Mari. While, according to the sources, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz gave seven names - Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister for Science and Technology Zahid Hamid, Safron Minister Abdul Qadir Baloch, Deputy Speaker of National Assembly Murtaza Javed Abbasi, Minister of State for Information Technology Anusha Rehman, MNAs Abdul Hakeem Baloch and Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry as members of the committee.
PTI Vice President Shah Mehmood Qureshi told Business Recorder that his party has proposed the names of Dr Shireen Mazari, Dr Arif Alvi and Shafqat Mehmood for members of the parliamentary committee. The sources said the Muttahida Qaumi Movement has nominated Dr Farooq Sattar, A S Iqbal Qadri and Senator Colonel Tahir Hussain Mashhadi (retired) as members of the Committee while Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) gave the names of Senator Talha Mehmood and MNA Naeema Kishwar.
The sources said one member has been taken from each small party: Senator Haji Muhammad Adeel of Awami National Party , MNA Chaudhry Tariq Bashir Cheema of Pakistan Muslim League-Q, Tariq Ullah of Jamaat-i-Islami , Abdul Rahim Mandokhel of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, independent candidate Syed Ghazi Gulab Jamal, Federal Minister for Industries and Production Ghulam Murtaza Khan Jatoi of National People's Party, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed of Awami Muslim League, MNA Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao of Qaumi Watan Party (Sherpao) etc.