ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf (PTI) government is committed to fulfil its promises and will particularly make sure that the electoral process is revamped before the next general elections so that no one, including rival political parties, could point finger at the legitimacy and fairness of future elections.
“The PTI government is paying special attention to electoral reforms and will make sure the system is refined and all lacunas are removed before the next elections,” National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri said during an exclusive interview with The Nation.
Responding to a question as to why the PTI government wants reforms before the elections, Suri said “free and fair elections are a must for democracy to flourish.”
Suri said that efforts to constitute a special committee for electoral reforms were currently underway but “the process would definitely be completed before the next general elections of 2023.”
He added that PPP leadership has expressed willingness in this regard and other political parties should also come forward and contribute.
He also said electronic voting machines are being used in many countries particularly the developed world and it has made the voting process transparent and easy. “We should also move in that direction and ensure transparency in the elections.”
Commenting on electoral reforms in the wake of Senate elections and defeat of government’s candidate Hafeez Sheikh in the Senate polls, he said Prime Minister Imran Khan in his cricket career was the first player who raised voice for a neutral umpire.
He said, in this entire scenario, Imran Khan is voicing for the cause of electoral reforms and is committed to make an end to buying and selling of votes in elections. He (PM) wanted Senate elections through show of hands while being honest with his respective political party and its ideology.
In this regard, PTI also moved Supreme Court which instructed the Election Commission of Pakistan to make a mechanism to determine loyalty of parliamentarians in Senate elections, he added.
Commenting on production order mechanism, Qasim Khan Suri said that Speaker National Assembly has this mandate to ensure attendance of any parliamentarian through production order.
He said it is the prerogative of the Speaker and this mandate could not be exercised either by the president or prime minister. Sometimes, opposition members make pressure tactics to issue production orders, however, the final decision is taken by the speaker.
Commenting on the presence of Prime Minister in the sessions of the parliament, the Deputy Speaker said that on the first day, when Prime Minister Imran Khan elected premier, was obstructed to deliver his first speech by opposition benches. How is this possible that a prime minister was obstructed to deliver his speech, this is not a positive democratic tradition. “So in my opinion, opposition should give an opportunity to listen and raise their questions in a democratic way,” he said.
He said that arrival of prime minister in the house is important and in this regard, Opposition has not been making cooperation to ensure presence of prime minister in the parliament. He said even the Prime Minister himself offered that he will come to parliament and listen to the Opposition as well but most of the time the Opposition boycotted the session before the prime minister’s speech.
He also added that opposition used to chant slogans and make hue and cry on arrival of the prime minister, which is not a positive democratic tradition.
To a question, he said that parliament is the major legislation institution of the country and all the political parties should join hands in the public interests. He said that all political parties instead of following their respective agendas should unite on national agenda for stability of the parliament.
The Deputy Speaker said that majority of parliamentarians are young as 104 new parliamentarians including four women are those who have come to parliament for the first time.
In the current parliament from various constituencies across the country, people voted young parliamentarians keeping aside conventional and traditional politics, said Qasim Khan Suri.
Talking about sessions days in a calendar year and respective legislation, Suri said that it is inscribed in the constitution that parliament sessions should be run for 130 days of an year and during the PTI government, this 130 days responsibility is being fulfilled to run sessions of the National Assembly.
In the wake of coronavirus pandemic, it was also decided to run sessions of the parliament with reduced number of parliamentarians up to 25 percent with rotation for every political party to attend sessions of the house and ensure proper distancing in the Assembly for sitting arrangements for the parliament.
Deputy Speaker Suri also said that from 2018-21, 50 resolutions have been approved by the parliament and private member bills introduced in this regard are 202 while bills introduced by the government are 80 and total bills approved in this regard on part of the government and private members are 60, so a total of 60 legislations have been made in this time period.
While acts of parliament approved from both the houses are 148, said the Deputy Speaker.
He also said that session of the parliament is being run systematically as we have been entrusted in this office to fulfil our responsibilities with dedication and commitment. We follow all respective rules to run the sessions of the parliament as per Constitutional instructions and procedures.
Commenting on the future of PDM, he said form the day one, PTI has been struggling against these political parties who are part of politics in pursuit of their benefits at the cost of public interests.
He said that majority of politicians are part of the PDM, Maulana Fazlur Rehman and others used to protect their personal interests after coming to power.
He said Maulana Fazlur Rehman remained steadfast to be part of every government to secure his objectives and interests. He said public was well aware of their basic objectives and made them failed by rejecting their show of power in Lahore and other parts of the country, said Qasim Khan Suri.
Talking about the political culture in Balochistan, he said feudal system and Nawabs and Sardars come to power in Balochistan and, therefore, they used to treat each other in the capacity of Nawab and Sardar irrespective instead of public representative.
“I have become deputy speaker of Pakistan’s national assembly and it has set a precedent that youth can come to forefront with continued efforts and struggle,” he said.
Responding to a question, about the usage of Urdu in the parliament, the Deputy Speaker said that Supreme court has categorically instructed to use Urdu.
In this perspective, he said when he assumed charge his staff said that there are words which are used in English as our Constitution is printed in English and operative machinery used English language. But against all these odds, he said, he will speak in Urdu and run the session in Urdu and he said my staff to make me translation if any difficulties come.
He added that 70 percent parliamentarians come from rural background, and with usage of Urdu it has also become easier for them to understand proceedings of the sessions.