Finance minister says he has conveyed to the PTI leadership ‘new definition of the scope of work of the proposed judicial commission’
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said Saturday that the government is willing to form the proposed judicial commission to probe allegations of rigging in the May 2013 elections, adding that it will be formed within the ambit of the Constitution.
The minister was addressing a news conference along with Federal Minister for Information Technology Anusha Rehman.
The finance minister said he had written another letter and sent an e-mail as well to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) negotiating team containing new definition of the scope of the work of the proposed judicial commission to probe allegations of rigging in the 2013 general elections.
The minister said the new draft had been sent to the PTI a made by the party during latest round of talks on Jan 20. Dar said the remaining points can be sorted out and the judicial commission can be formed without any delay. He said it is time to sort out the issues as a lot of time had already been consumed.
He said that the government wants the commission to determine whether the rigging took place as an organised conspiracy or not, adding that Imran Khan wants the word ‘conspiracy’ removed from the agreement draft.
“The commission will only rule in ‘yes’ and ‘no’ but the PTI wants several answers which would further complicate the issue,” he said.
He said that the review of five points about electoral reforms has been completed and that the government’s conscience is clear. “PTI lawmakers should now return to the assemblies,” he added.
Responding to a question regarding the 21st Amendment, Dar said that the interpretation of the law and constitution is Supreme Court’s prerogative.
The PTI had since long been demanding that a judicial commission with special powers be formulated through a presidential ordinance which if finds out that rigging was committed in selected number of constituencies, the government should go home followed by fresh elections.