ISLAMABAD - Former president Asif Ali Zardari yesterday said that incumbent government will not benefit from the fruit of the seed they were sowing – citing the electoral reforms.

Speaking briefly to the journalists here, Zardari said that government was using all its energy to “sow the seed of this legislation but they will not benefit from its fruit rather someone else will reap the benefit.”

Earlier, amid pandemonium from the opposition benches, the joint session of the parliament approved three important bills including the use of Electronic Voting Machines, the Second Election Amendment Bill 2021, and the Kulbhushan Jadhav bill allowing him the right to appeal amid the hue and cry of the opposition. The government proved its majority after the joint house approved a law by 221 to 203 votes to introduce EVMs in the next general elections.

The joint session also approved some others bills. Under the legislation passed, Pakistanis living in other countries will be allowed to vote in elections through Inernet-Voting System (IVS). At least 16 members of Parliament from opposition parties remained absent during the voting. The absent opposition members included Naveed Qamar, Akhtar Mengal, Ali Wazir, and Yousaf Talpur.

Someone else will reap the benefit

The joint session passed a bill to comply with the International Court of Justice ruling about Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav. Two Muslim family laws were also passed.

This prompted the opposition to tear copies of the agenda and walk out of the session in protest. Lawmakers also gathered around the treasury benches, chanting slogans against Prime Minister Imran Khan and his government.

Meanwhile, former president Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday had said that Imran Khan’s government would not complete its five-year tenure.

“Those who brought Prime Minister Imran Khan are now admitting that they committed a mistake,” claimed the former president, adding that they are now figuring out how to undo that mistake.

“Only Allah knows best how they can fix this mistake,” Zardari said while speaking to reporters during his appearance at an accountability court. Replying to a question about ex-chief justice Gilgit-Baltistan Rana Shamim’s affidavit, the former president said: “We have already seen this.

 Justice Qayyum had a tape with Saif-ur-Rehman and some friends as well.” When asked a question relating to Maryam Nawaz’s petition, Zardari said he would not talk about it as “Maryam Nawaz is like a daughter to me.” Earlier on Tuesday, an Accountability Court (AC) granted interim bail till November 23 to former president Asif Ali Zardari in New York Property case. AC-II Judge Muhammad Azam Khan heard the pre-arrest bail petition of ex-president who appeared before the court in person along with his legal team. 

FarooK H Naek pleaded that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had granted interim bail to his client and now they have approached the trial court after the amendments in NAB ordinance. 

The ordinance had given powers to accountability courts to hear the interim bail cases, he said. 

After listening to arguments, the court granted interim bail to Asif Zardari till November 23, and sought comments from National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against the plea.

The NAB had alleged ex-president for holding flat in New York City which he didn’t disclose in his nomination papers submitted to Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).