Pakistan’s cabinet has decided to draft a bill in Parliament to amend the Constitution because it holds Senate elections by open ballot.
The decision was taken during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan.
“The government wants the elections (Senate) to be held transparently and without the horse trade. This is why we want Senate elections to be held by open voting, “Information Minister Shibli Faraz told the media after the meeting.
He said that in the past, money was used in Senate elections and votes bought made House elections a hoax. He asks what’s the use of an upper house where people come through vote buying.
Faraz also said that those who opposed the proposed move forgot that his own party had demanded an open vote in the past.
“The government will submit a constitutional amendment bill in parliament so that the Senate elections will be conducted through open voting,” he said.
The government has already petitioned the Supreme Court, seeking direction to hold the upcoming Senate elections by open ballot. The decision is pending.
Meanwhile, the Dawn newspaper quoted a Cabinet member as saying that Prime Minister Khan commissioned his parliamentary affairs adviser Babar Awan to draft a bill in the National Assembly to hold Senate elections by open voting when advisers briefed on the government’s reference status. at the Supreme Court.
Awan said the government had put two bills – the Constitution Amendment Bill and the Election Reform Bill – in Parliament on the basis of the laws it wanted to make for an open vote.
The cabinet member said Awan had held a meeting of his ministry and his legislative branch to draw up a road map on how to proceed with the matter in Parliament.
It has been proposed that since the Senate vote cannot be held by hand, each voter must indicate his preference on the ballot. Therefore, to make sure voters’ identities are exposed, voters should be asked to say their name on the back of the ballot paper, according to the Dawn newspaper.
Senate elections are due in the first half of next month and Khan’s ruling Prime Minister, Tehreek-I-Insaf, is concerned that his own members may vote for gay party policies, according to opposition parties opposing the move.