Punjab Chief Minister’s Special Assistant for Information, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has said that the Supreme Court has ordered Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to ensure transparency in the Senate elections through secret balloting.
Talking to the media persons on Monday, she said that the apex court verdict on the presidential reference case is out. She said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders are used to celebrating any court verdict, only later to realise the real impact of that. She further said that some political infants are jubilant over the Supreme Court’s verdict, adding that the opposition is used to distributing sweets without reading the court decision in the past as well.
She said that 3rd of March will prove the day to eliminate horse trading. She said that it is hoped that the SC verdict will help overcome horse-trading in the Senate election. She said the PM is fully committed to maintaining the sanctity of the upper house of the parliament and the SC has also directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to ensure this thing.
She said that those claiming no long march after March 3 have to eat a humble pie as horse-trading would come to an end. The SC has put the ball in the court of ECP and now ECP is duty-bound to take necessary measures while the media should educate the people about the institutional role of state institutions in a correct perspective, she said. Firdous said the SC has agreed to the proposal of PTI to rid the Senate election of corrupt practices because the transparent election is a beauty of democracy as independent institutions keep the democratic journey moving. Now the ECP should discourage horse-trading and its credibility could be improved by using the technology, she said.
