ISLAMABAD August 21 (APP): Federal Law Minister Zahid Hamid Monday
informed the National Assembly that 44 out of 105 amendments
suggested by the parliamentarians were accommodated in the
new election bill.
Talking in the National Assembly he said, “It was
unfortunate that the parliamentarians have not presented these
amendments in the 129 meetings of sub-committees and main committees that met during the last two and a half years.”
He said at the end of 93 meetings of sub-committees, everybody arrived
at a consensus but later more amendments were tabled in the house.
He said nobody gave a dissent note at the conclusion of
105 meetings of the committee on electoral reforms.
He asked the political parties to withdraw their amendments
after the acceptance of the 44 amendments. “Elections bill
2017 is the product of efforts of all the political parties and
not just the government but political parties should also take
credit of it,” he added.
He said it was view of the government that the bill should
be passed unanimously.
Sharing the background of the bill, he said,
initially 1200 suggestions were examined from various quarters
and after that the bill was put on website for more proposals. He
said, 680 more suggestions from the people came to improve
the bill.
He termed the elections bill historical and said this kind of
comprehensive bill had been tabled in the parliament for the first
time in history. He was of the view that after the passage of the bill
its implementation was very easy. He thanked the Election Commission
of Pakistan (ECP) for extending the support.
He said Election Commission has been given administrative and
financial powers and also the power to make rules for conduct of fair
elections.
Zahid Hamid said variation of population during
delimitation of constituencies was restricted to 10 percent.
Now every citizens who get computerized national identity
cards would be automatically enrolled as a voter.
The voter will be registered only according to his
present and permanent address, he added.
He said special measures were taken for voting
of transgender community, adding election officials will take an
oath before polls that they will conduct elections according to
rules and regulations and with fairness.
The minister said CCTV cameras will be installed at
sensitive polling stations.
The house adopted the Elections bill 2017 and decided to pass
it by clause by clause on Tuesday.
