ECP to brief PERC on electoral reforms on 26th: Dar

• Parliamentarians criticise PTI for not attending PERC meeting for electoral reforms

ISLAMABAD

APP

Parliamentary Electoral Reforms Committee (PERC) Chairman Senator Ishaq Dar Tuesday said that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would brief the body on electoral reforms on August 26.

While talking to journalists after chairing a PERC meeting at the Parliament House, the senator said that all political parties had unanimously decided that there would be no compromise on supremacy of the Parliament and Constitution.

Dar said the committee had finalised all modalities, rules and regulations under which the parliamentary body would hold its proceedings to improve the existing electoral system. The committee, he said, had invited public suggestions with regard to bringing improvement in the electoral system, which got a positive response and received proposals through email, fax and SMSs. He also invited Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to participate in PERC meetings and give constructive suggestions to improve the existing system.

Deploring that the national economy suffered Rs 450 billion losses due to long marches and sit-ins while a team of International Monetary Fund (IMF) could not visit Pakistan in the prevailing situation, he said the business community had out-rightly rejected the civil disobedience call given by PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

WHY ISN’T PTI CONCERNED?

Moreover, National Wattan Party (NWP) chief Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao regretted that PTI, on whose demand the committee was formed, was not attending the PERC proceedings. Accusing the PTI chief of not being a man of his word, he said that PTI would have participated in the meetings if it really wanted the reforms.

Naeema Kishwar of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) also criticised PTI for its absence from the meeting, urging PTI leadership to send their representatives with positive suggestions at the parliamentary forum.

The parliamentary committee meeting was attended by Naveed Qamar, Abdul Rahim Mandokhel, Abdul Hakeem Baloch, Abdul Qadir Baloch, Shazia Mari, Anosha Rehman, Ejazul Haq, Naeema Kishwar, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, GG Jamal and Zahid Hamid among others.