Parliament gives more powers to interim govt with Election Act ammendments
A joint session of parliament Wednesday approved amendments to the Election Act 2017, granting additional powers to the caretaker government to take important decisions on the economy and engage with international institutions, reported 24Ne3wsHD TV channel.
The bill was tabled in the joint session by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Murtaza Javed Abbasi which was approved with a majority vote.
The subclauses 1 and 2 of Section 230 of the election act related to the functioning of caretaker government have been amended. Under the amendments, the interim setup will not have the authority to sign any new agreement and make decisions on bilateral and multilateral agreements.
The caretaker government will be able to exercise powers on matters related to the ongoing projects, according to the amendments.
The development came after the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) successfully persuaded its allies in the Centre to approve a bill granting additional powers to the caretaker setup.
Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms meeting, held with PML-N's Sardar Ayaz Sadiq in the chair, where Article 230 — which relates to the functions of a caretaker government — came under discussion.
Under the proposed bill, the caretaker government was given “unbridled powers”, which the allied parties, as well as the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), opposed and the legislation was deferred in the joint session a day earlier.
Before the electoral reforms bill was laid in the house, PTI Senator Ali Zafar reiterated his demand that the house reject the said clause as it was unsustainable.
"If you do not reject it, then the Supreme Court will reject it," PTI's Zafar told the parliament.
The PTI leader said the "dilution" made to the bill was not enough as it was “unconstitutional and illegal”.
When the session resumed today, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the government had prepared a new draft of the said amendment after concerns were raised by the allies and opposition members.
“Apart from Section 230, there was 100 per cent consensus on all the other amendments,” he said.
Tarar clarified that while it was being said that the amendment to Section 230 was made a day earlier, “the truth is that the changes were proposed five days back via WhatsApp and email” to members of the Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms.
“But the committee was called again today and examined the amendment to Section 230 again,” he said, adding that the members of the committee deemed the changes “unnecessary”.
Tarar further said that a new draft of the amendment, to simplify Section 230, had been shared by Commerce Minister Naveed Qamar. “Rest of the amendments that have been circulated are those on which there is 100pc consensus.”
The draft of the law, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, said: “Provided that sub-sections 1 and 2 shall not apply where the caretaker government has to take actions or decisions regarding existing bilateral or multilateral agreements or the projects already initiated under the Public Private Partnership Authority Act 2017, the Inter-Governmental Commercial Transactions Act 2022, and the Privatisation Commission Ordinance 2000.”
Meanwhile, PPP Senator Raza Rabbani said that he had no objection to other amendments to the Election Act 2017.
“Section 230, as it stood yesterday, was opposed by a lot of members who had a number of observations against it. I am grateful to the law minister that he keep yesterday’s discussion in view and this is the beauty of the Parliament that the government is guided by the wisdom of the House.”
He asserted that wisdom prevailed and as a result, subclause one and subclause 2 of the amendment had been deleted.
However, at the same time, Rabbani said: “I believe that the powers, no matter what the exigencies that are existing, these powers should not be with the caretaker government.”