Opposition invited to join parliamentary committee on electoral reforms
The government and the Pakistan Peoples Party have invited opposition parties to join a parliamentary committee on electoral reforms. Opposition leaders said they would reply after consultation.
- PPP delegation led by Sherry Rehman invited opposition parties to join the committee
- Opposition leaders said they would respond after consultation
- The National Assembly has approved forming the committee; names are still pending
A Pakistan Peoples Party delegation led by Senator Sherry Rehman met opposition leaders at Parliament House in Islamabad on Friday, October 30, and invited them to join the parliamentary committee on electoral reforms, according to APP, 24 News and Geo News.
Reports say the delegation acted on the directions of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. It visited the chamber of the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, and met him and Mahmood Khan Achakzai.
Express News quoted Sherry Rehman as saying the opposition leaders listened to the party in a spirit of goodwill and said they would consult and then give a reply. Geo News headlined its report that the opposition had signalled willingness to join the committee.
Earlier, on October 29, Daily Jang and Daily Pakistan reported, citing sources, that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had decided to formally invite the opposition to talks on electoral reforms so that the next elections are transparent.
According to those reports, the prime minister directed that the opposition be included in the committee and be asked to submit names. Under that plan, the committee would have 20 members, five of them from the opposition, and the National Assembly Speaker would write to the opposition inviting it to join.
Express News reported a different size. According to Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, the National Assembly has approved forming the committee, which will have 30 members: 20 from the National Assembly and 10 from the Senate. Seats will be divided according to each party's numerical strength in the house.
Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the aim of the committee is to promote consultation and consensus at the parliamentary level for improvement, transparency and reform in the electoral system. The Speaker will soon issue a formal notification, but the names of members are still to be finalised.
Express News also reported that Tehreek-e-Insaf did not oppose the motion when it was presented in the National Assembly.
Why it matters
Electoral reforms shape how fairly future elections are run for voters across Pakistan. Whether the opposition joins the committee will affect how far the reforms have cross-party backing.
