Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif has dubbed electronic voting machines (EVMs) ‘evil machines’.

Addressing the joint session of the Parliament, Opposition Leader of National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif said that the Election Commission of Pakistan rejected the proposal of the EVMs on strong grounds not on personal like or dislike.

He alleged that the government and its allies wanted to bulldoze important bills. “People of Pakistan will never forgive you on such legislation.”

Shehbaz Sharif said that initially the session was postponed and the government said it wanted to consult with the opposition on the issue but it was a plot to buy time so that the government could secure the votes it needed.

You had no intention of doing consultations on the issue, he added.

He said a Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms held 117 sessions during the tenure of the PML-N government, but the current committee only convened three sessions on the issue.

The crucial joint session of Parliament is underway as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government hopes to get laws passed.

Bills to be presented in today’s session:

According to the agenda, the Electoral Amendment Bill 2021 will be presented in the meeting. The Second Electoral Amendment Bill will also be presented in the meeting. The bills regarding electoral reforms will be submitted in the joint session by the Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan.

As per agenda, the bill related to Kulbhushan Jadhav and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will be moved by Federal Minister for Law Farogh Naseem.

The Islamabad Capital Territory Charities Registration, Regulation and Facilitation Bill will be introduced during the joint sitting of Parliament, while State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Banking Services Corporation Amendment Bill, 2021and National College of Arts Institute Bill, 2021 will also be presented in the joint session.

The two bills of Muslim Family Laws (Amendment) Act, 2021 and Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trail) Bill, 2021 will presented during the session. Hyderabad Institute for Technical and Management Sciences Bill, 2021 will also be moved in the session.