Allies’ reservations over EVM dispelled, claim ministers
ISLAMABAD: Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has said Monday the joint parliament session has been convened at about 2 pm on Wednesday for which the reservations of government allies have been allayed who will support the bills tabled for electoral reforms.
“All our allies, Muttahida Qaumi Movement – Pakistan (MQM-P) and Pakistan Mulsim League – Q (PML-Q), have agreed to support our Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) bill,” said Chaudhry while briefing media in Islamabad Monday after a meeting of the members of the government’s allied parties with Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The Minister said the entire leadership of the allied parties, including GDA, MQM-Pakistan, PML-Q and Balochistan Awami Party was present in the meeting, and are standing with the government. He said the reservations of the allies were listened and addressed.
Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said it was unanimously decided that a joint sitting of the Parliament would be summoned for Wednesday. He said bills pertaining to electoral reforms will be tabled in the session.
He said his while talking to media about the claims by Cheif Justice Gilgit Baltistan court Rana Shamim who said former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice retired Saqib Nisar intervened in cases against ex-premier Nawaz Sharif and his family, and leveraged his authority to delay their bail until after 2018 elections.
Standing next to him was interior minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad who said Prime Minister Imran Khan himself addressed the objections raised on electoral reforms by the allies. He confirmed the rescheduled joint parliament session to now hold on Wednesday and added that some 8- to 10 legislation will be proposed in the next session with the support of the treasury bench associates.
All our allies stand with his with whom we discussed at length the electoral reforms we want to bring in the parliament, Chaudhry said.
Earlier today, Islamabad High Court (IHC) served contempt of court notice to the former CJ GB Rana Shamim over his allegations against the ex- CJP Saqib Nisar.
Former CJ Gilgit Baltistan had claimed former CJP Saqib Nisar had asked a high court judge to keep Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz Sharif in jail till the 2018 general elections.
The CJ IHC had taken notice of the matter after the name of a sitting HC judge also named in the controversy that took place after allegations of the former CJ GB.
At the outset of the hearing, the CJ IHC said that such reporting from the media house can create problems and added that the IHC always upheld the freedom of speech. TF Report