Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar on Friday assured the Opposition in Senate for rechecking the number of casualties in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in acts of terrorism.
Talking to media outside the parliament, he said matters with the opposition parties in the Senate, who were boycotting proceedings of the house, had been resolved amicably.
The minister said he and Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid had been nominated by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resolve the issue with Opposition.
He said according to law, incorrect information and figures were being sent to the privilege committee for rechecking. Senator Dar said the election commission had been assured by the government that required funds would be provided to it for holding of local bodies elections.
However, he was of the view that the Printing Corporation of Pakistan did not have the capacity to publish huge number of ballot papers on short notice. He said the government had disagreed with the suggestion that private printing press should be involved in printing of ballot papers.
Senator Aitzaz Ahsan thanked the prime minister for taking notice of situation and announced to withdraw the boycott of the Senate proceedings.
Meanwhile, Senator Farhatullah Babar on a point of order in the session of the Senate called by the opposition parties congratulated the National Assembly for adopting a unanimous resolution on calling for a new LB polls schedule hailing it as a clear message sent out by the parliament.
Such loud and clear message about the role and limits of state institutions should have been sent out much earlier, he said.
He then moved a motion under Rule 263 to dispense with the requirements of relevant rules to move a resolution in the Senate at a short notice.
Chairperson Kulsoom Perveen put the motion to vote which the House endorsed unanimously.
Thereupon Senator Farhatullah Babar moved the following resolution which when put to vote by the chairperson was also endorsed unanimously by the opposition.
Following is the text of the Resolution:
“This House believes that local bodies are central to democratic governance and calls for fair, credible, transparent and party-based elections in all the provinces and cantonment boards as soon as possible. This House also believes that rushing through the process of LB polls without necessary legal and administrative framework having been put in place will result in questionable and controversial poll results. The House expresses serious concern over the schedule announced by the ECP and calls for a new time frame that ensures fair, credible and transparent LB polls.”
