A bill titled ‘The Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2020’ aimed at introducing show of hands practice during Senate elections was tabled in the National Assembly on Tuesday.
The bill is aimed at making amendments in the Elections Act, 2017, and was introduced in the Lower House of Parliament by PTI legislator Junaid Akbar. Speaking on the bill, the lawmaker said it seeks to attain objective of holding Senate polls using show of hands practice rather than the secret ballot. “It is now time to stop practice of selling votes in the Upper House of Parliament and changing party loyalties,” he said, adding that it is due to a handful of people that politics and politicians are being defamed.
Speaking on the bill, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan said the ruling party believes in transparency in politics. National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser sent the bill to standing committee concerned for further deliberations. Meanwhile, another bill was tabled in the Lower House by Balochistan National Party (BNP) leader Akhtar Mengal, aimed at amending NADRA Ordinance, 2000. The bill was sent to the relevant standing committee after approval by the House.
The National Assembly was informed that it is a prerogative of the Balochistan government to take any decision over utilization of Reko Diq assets. Responding to a calling attention notice, Parliamentary Secretary for Petroleum Khiyal Zaman Orakzai told the Lower House that the constitution guarantees and acknowledges rights of respective provinces over mineral resources in light of the 18th Amendment.
In total, eight bills were introduced in the House. The chair referred the bills to the standing committees concerned. The House will now meet again on Wednesday at 11 in the morning.
