Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: On Wednesday, former president Asif Ali Zardari has denounced the PTI-led government’s move to pass the electoral bills in the joint sitting of Parliament, adding that it was more likely that someone else would get benefit from these legislations rather than the ruling party.

He was talking to journalists briefly at Parliament House, after attending the joint sitting during which the government managed to get 33 bills passed.

He was asked about the PTI government’s efforts for the passage of bills related to electronic voting machines and voting rights for overseas Pakistanis.

When he was asked whether the government took the opposition in confidence or not and how the ruling party being succeeded in its plans, Zardari replied the government was succeeding due to other reasons. “And you know the other reasons better,” he said.

“The government is using all its energy to sow the seeds of this legislation, but someone else will benefit from its fruits,” the former president added.

Meanwhile, Shehbaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto, had also criticized the government for not following the democratic principles and rushing through the legislation.

Joint session passes 33 bills

During the joint session of Parliament Wednesday, the government powered through 33 bills amid strong uproar by the Opposition and rigging claims during the counting.

Meanwhile, the parliament also passed the International Court of Justice ICJ (Review and Reconsideration) Bill, 2020 to give the right of appeal to Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav in the light of ICJ directives.

After the walkout of the opposition members, the government got the remaining 32 other bills easily passed. However, some of the opposition members returned to the House to move their amendments.

During the session, the opposition members gathered in front of the Speaker’s dais raising slogans ‘Cheeni Chor, Atta Chor, Go Niazi Go and rigging, rigging’ while tearing copies of bills and order of the day.

A ruckus broke out when Adviser to Prime Minister Babar Awan presented item No 3 on the list of the day’s orders that pertained to the Bill further to amend the Elections Act, 2017 [The Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2021].

The opposition MNAs demanded the NA Speaker to let PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari speak, with some of them gathering around the Speaker’s rostrum.