The Pakistan People’s Party has filed a plea with the Supreme Court of Pakistan against a presidential reference seeking advice on open ballot for the upcoming Senate elections.
The petition was filed by PPP Secretary and former senator Farhatullah Babar in the apex court. The petition pleaded the apex court to send back the presidential reference and hold the Senate elections under the constitution, saying a bill of 26th Constitutional Amendment has been pending in the parliament.
According to the petition, the government has changed its stance after failing to amend the constitution. It said the government has filed the presidential reference to achieve its political objectives.
Attorney General Khalid Javed advancing his case before the Supreme Court, said that the upcoming Senate elections have less than one month remaining and soon the trading will begin.
“Why the opposition not agreeing over the open ballot vote,” Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed questioned. “The opposition parties were agreed 10 years ago but now they are failing to fulfill their commitment,” the state counsel said.
“A Charter of Democracy was agreed between two former prime ministers. In 2010 the 18th Constitutional Amendment was passed but no clause added to the promised legislation for preventing horse-trading in the senate election,” the attorney general further said.
“It is upto the election commission to stop the trading of votes,”Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan remarked. “The election commission is supporting secret ballot vote. It has hired a lawyer for its representation,” AG further said.
