Govt gets bill passed to enable Nawaz’s reelection as PML-N chief

Bill allows a disqualified person to get elected, remain party president

ISLAMABAD: An ill-prepared and divided opposition on Friday facilitated the ruling coalition to pass a clause of the Election Bill, 2017 from the opposition-dominated Upper House of the Parliament, paving the way for the disqualified former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to get reelected as party chief of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

Absence of some of the lawmakers from Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP), Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) and other smaller parties helped the treasury get the bill passed from a difference of one vote. The bill was passed with 39 votes in favour while the opposition’s votes were counted as 38.

Four out of eight members of the MQM were absent from the session. Same was the situation with the PPP as most of its lawmakers remained absent, leaving the analysts to speculate whether an underhand deal had been struck between the ruling party and the PPP and MQM. However, all the four members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were present.

Fissures in the opposition ranks even forced Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani to stage a walkout from the House after he had ruled that Law Minister Zahid Hamid could not put another amendment to a clause of the bill before the House again while it had been passed earlier.

PPP Senators Farooq Naik, Rubina Khalid and Fateh Muhammad Hasni had supported the government’s view over the matter, leaving the chairman red faced who preferred to stage a walkout.

Senior jurist and Senate former chairman Wasim Sajjad, while talking to Pakistan Today, said that if the bill becomes a law, Nawaz Sharif would be able to get himself reelected as party chief. He said that under the amended bill, any disqualified person could be elected or even remain a party president.

Earlier, the number-strong Opposition benches had to suffer an embarrassment when leader of the Opposition Senator Aitzaz Ahsan submitted an amendment to re-add a proviso to the Article 203 of the Election Bill. However, despite enjoying majority in the House, the opposition was defeated several times during the passage of the bill.

Senator Aitzaz Ahsan presented an amendment to the bill which stated that any person ineligible to hold office as an MNA, is ineligible to hold the position of head of a political party. Thirty seven members of the house voted in favour of Ahsan’s amendment, whereas 38 voted against it.

The amendment would have prevented ousted premier Nawaz Sharif from becoming president of the PML-N once again ─ a post which he was declared ineligible for after disqualification from public office.

The bill also proposes electoral reforms including a fine of up to Rs0.1 million for lawmakers or three years in jail if irregularities are found in details of their assets; termination of lawmakers’ membership if they fail to submit asset details within 60 days; and that the ECP shall have additional powers allowing it to summon services of any institution to investigate irregularities in asset details.

Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani staged a walkout of the Upper House today, saying he had done so as the House had voted against his decision to disallow Law Minister Zahid Hamid from moving an amendment to Clause 60 of the bill.

During consideration of Clause 60 of the Bill, an amendment was moved which was put to the House. Thirty nine members voted in favour of the amendments and 38 against the same. Consequently, the amendment was carried.

Subsequently, while the said clause was still under consideration, Zahid Hamid came with a proposal of moving an amendment to the amendment to restore clause 60 to its original form and annul the amendment carried by the House. The chairman said he had used his discretion under rule 105 of the Senate rules of procedure to deny permission to move the amendment.

However, the law minister kept on pursuing his case and pleaded that this amendment is very important and members do want to re-consider. Despite the fact that Rabbani had already given his decision, he decided to pass on his powers to the House to take decision in this regard.

Subsequently, the House voted against his decision, therefore, keeping in view ethical standards of morality and Parliamentary traditions, Rabbani decided not to sit in the House for consideration of the bill.

The Bill will now return to the National Assembly for approval. If the lower house of parliament passes the bill with amendments, it will become a law after formal assent by the president.