ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs in its meeting formed a sub-committee to discuss and finalise the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2016 moved in the Senate by Senator Sherry Rehman. The committee would be headed by Senator Farooq H Naek and would comprise Senators Saleem Zia and Saifullah Magsi as members. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Senator Saeed Ghani at the Parliament House on Tuesday. It may be noted that the amendment suggested by Senator Sherry Rehman seeks an end to forcefully barring women from voting in elections. Senator Aitzaz Ahsan said that the amendment should be shaped in such a manner that if female turnout is less than 10 percent of the total turnout and if there is a solid evidence of any formal, informal, written or verbal agreement barring women from casting votes, the ECP should be given power to declare the elections in that specific constituency as void. Senator Farooq H Naek observed that the intention of the law is to give women the freedom to vote. He said that setting a percentage limit of 10 or 15 percent turnout is not an answer; however, careful drafting of the amendment bill is important so that the law is not challenged or struck down in the future. Senator Javed Abbasi said that it should be studied whether any other country in the world has provided any such law, which asks for compulsory voting because this amendment will make it compulsory to vote, as voting is a right and not a responsibility. Legal expert Salman Akram Raja, who was also present in the meeting as a special invitee, said, “It is a progressive legislation, but we should also focus on it applicability, is it applied to all parts or only in the areas where women are restrained from voting.” He suggested having a general procedure and providing a clause for extraordinary situations.