Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Babar Awan said on Monday that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif’s comments on giving the right of vote to overseas Pakistanis was a violation of the Supreme Court (SC) verdict and hence constituted contempt of court.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad along with other federal ministers, Awan said that Shehbaz Sharif wants Pakistanis abroad to be deprived of their right to vote.

“He wants that 10 million Pakistanis living abroad should have no say in political affairs of the country of their origin,” he remarked.

Shehbaz had suggested that five to seven seats be allocated in the National Assembly and two seats in the Senate to overseas Pakistanis. He had said that overseas Pakistanis should come to the country to cast their votes during elections.

Babar Awan said he wanted to make it clear to the opposition not to play with the constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Shehbaz has refused to accept the supremacy of the parliament twice in the last two weeks, said Awan, adding that the opposition has proposed a “fraud” plan regarding overseas Pakistanis.

He again highlighted that Shehbaz’s proposal is against the decision of the Supreme Court.

He said article 8, 17 and 106 (2) guaranteed the right to vote to overseas Pakistanis, and that Shehbaz’s suggestion could not snatch this right from those Pakistanis living abroad. “Wherever, Pakistanis are living they have a right to cast votes,” he said emphatically.

Article 8 prohibited legislation against the teachings of Quran and Sunnah and also against the basic human rights of citizens of Pakistan.

Awan said Shehbaz should not insult the Constitution of Pakistan. “If the whole parliament wants together to deprive them (overseas Pakistanis) of their rights, Article 8 of the Constitution prohibits it,” he said.

He added that whatever discussion needed to be done on electoral reforms should take place in the parliament and advised the opposition not to look for “alternate roads”.

“Another thing I want to say is that the opposition parties raised objections to the budget without reading the document,” he said, and added, “And later, they only suggested cut motions.”

“The government wants to do all legislation through the parliament and considers the parliament as supreme,” Awan said, insisting that the doors of dialogue between the government and the opposition are open.