Khursheed Shah sends names for electoral reforms committee

ISLAMABAD: Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah on Thursday sent four names to the Speaker of National Assembly for inclusion in the special committee on electoral reforms, DawnNews reported. The names of Senator Aitezaz Ahsan, Raza Rabbani, Syed Naveed Qamar and Shazia Marri were sent for the Pakistan Peoples Party's representation in the electoral reforms committee. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on June 10, had written to the National Assembly speaker Ayaz Sadiq, asking him to constitute a special parliamentary committee comprising members of the two houses of parliament to take up the issue of electoral reforms and prepare comprehensive recommendations to ensure free, fair and transparent elections in the country. The prime minister had said the parliamentary committee may consider suggestions to amend the constitutional provisions relating to caretaker governments and the adoption of the latest technology currently available for holding elections. The 32-member committee was to be formed in consultation with the Senate chairman and would submit its final report to the speaker within three months. Later on June 19, a motion moved by Science and Technology Minister Zahid Hamid – who said it had the consent of all 10 parties present in the house, including the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), and opposition PPP and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) – authorised the speaker to constitute, in consultation with the chairman of the Senate and leaders of parliamentary parties in the lower house, the committee comprising members from “all parliamentary parties in proportion to their representation in parliament”. “The speaker may replace any member of the committee on request of the leader of the parliamentary party concerned,” it said.