PPP rejects PM’s offer on Electoral Reforms

Islamabad: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has rejected Prime Minister Imran Khan’s offer to the opposition to discuss electoral reforms.
Parliamentary Leader of the PPP in the Senate Sherry Rehman said the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government should first accept responsibility for rigging elections in Gilgit Baltistan and then talk about reforms.

“This sudden interest in electoral reforms seems extremely dubious when all these years they have done nothing about it,” she said in a statement.

She said: “The government openly violated election rules. According to the Election Act, 2017, the federal government is not allowed to campaign on the ground. On top of all this, the PM also decided to add to this flagrant rigging and misuse of federal resources by landing in GB to campaign few weeks ago. It is shocking that Form 45s were filled even before polling ending. This was blatant rigging by PTI”.

She added: “A parliamentary committee was formed earlier for comprehensive reforms but instead of going through that, they are now talking about electoral reforms. This just reflects the federal government’s non-serious attitude. When it came to Kashmir or Gilgit Baltistan, PM did not take the opposition into confidence but now he wants to talk to the opposition to get these reforms passed?” she questioned.

The PPP leader said the government was formed as a result of RTS failure. “They are unable to control inflation, how will they handle e-voting? There are reports that e-voting is prone to hacking and not completely secure. Accountability starts at home and the government should first focus on what they have done in the GB elections before talking about reforms,” she added. The Parliamentary Leader of the PPP in the Senate said the government had no credibility.