The sub-panel of the bipartisan Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms reviewed different proposals regarding changes in the procedures for election of members of the Senate and the election of members on reserved seats in the national and provincial assemblies. In a half-hearted attempt to carry out a major overhaul in the electoral system of the country, it asked the political parties represented in Parliament to respond by May 13 to a proposal of directly electing the members of the Upper House. In the past the indirect elections of the country’s Senate have been marred by major vote purchasing damaging the creditability of the senate. Would not it be more appropriate to switch over to proportional representation system where list of prospective party members are submitted before elections to represent on the strength of percentage of secured votes in the final round of General Elections in the Parliament both Upper and Lower House.
In another initiative, the sitting Senate of Pakistan has passed resolution to change its name into ‘Federation House of Pakistan’ thus trying to strengthen the federational unity of the country, that is weakening day by day.
It is a feature that has to be welcomed that after many years some badly needed reforms of the political system are being considered and hopefully carried out to bury the massively engineered elections attempt. But while thinking about it we should include into the consideration the equally long-standing issue of Gilgit-Baltistan representation in the Parliament of Pakistan, which still has to be formally acknowledged as a federating unit of Pakistan so that it can be represented in the Upper House as well but PPP and PML-N lose no chance to manipulate in GB elections to claim their national stature by hook or crook.
ALI ASHRAF KHAN
Lahore
