Presenting its recommendations to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday, parliament’s Special Committee on Electoral Code of Conduct sought more electoral reforms from Dr Tahirul Qadri.
The body also reiterated its commitment to empowering the ECP more to ensure free and fair polls. The members of the committee met under the chair of its convener Jehangir Badr in a seven-hour long meeting resulting in in-depth and detailed debate on issues and reforms related to the electoral code of conduct.
They presented their detailed recommendations on various reforms, followed by lengthy discussions.
Over the issue of changing the results by the presiding officers and other polling staffers after the elections, the officials from the ECP sought more powers to initiate action against such staff members and presiding officers.
Earlier, Election Commission of Pakistan Secretary Ishtiaq Ahmed informed the members that the ECP did not enjoy powers to initiate action against the presiding officers and other polling staff in case if they are found involved in rigging. At this, PML-N’s Anusha Rehman interfered, correcting the ECP secretary and saying that the ECP already held such powers but it was unfortunate that nobody had ever used it.
Badr said they were ready to give all the required powers to the ECP. He said the ECP officials should prepare the amendments and should present them before the body so that the members of the body might grant them with their desired powers, adding, “Now the ball was in the court of the Election Commission of Pakistan.”
MQM leader Tahir Mashhadi demanded that political and religious parties be separated in the electoral code of conduct, saying that most of the religious parties used the religion for their political gains and campaigns which was unfortunate.
To this, the ECP officials said there was no such thing as religious parties under the laws.
The MQM leader also demanded the ECP officials not allot the electoral symbol of a book to any of the religious parties as they exploited the religious sentiments of the public for their political goals. The members of the body presented the recommendations that were approved with consensus by the members to the ECP.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, the members of the committee also sought the electoral recommendations from Tehreek-e-Minhajul Quran chief Dr Tahirul Qadri.
Badr said other political forces had submitted their recommendations to the body, and Qadri should also submit his recommendations to the body in writing.
To a question, he said the committee would take the recommendations by Qadri seriously.
Ishaq Dar said constitutional reforms would be made to provide legal cover to the recommendations of the parliamentary body.