PTI plans to amend constitution for open voting in Senate polls.

Byline: Imran Mukhtar

ISLAMABAD -- The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Thursday announced to move a constitutional amendment bill in the parliament next week to make open voting in the Senate elections and to give dual nationals of Pakistani origin right to contest the elections.

Addressing a press conference along with Minister for Information Senator Shibli Faraz, Advisor to PM on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan said the government would introduce the bill containing three major amendments in the Constitution.

'This constitutional amendment bill is part of the election reforms package prepared by the PTI for the first time in the political history of the country after a series of meetings with Prime Minister Imran Khan.'

The reforms package would ensure transparency in the Senate election and give right to overseas dual national Pakistanis to contest the election, he said.

Babar recalled that Senate elections in the past were made controversial due to purchase of votes and corruption.

Explaining about the three proposed amendments, he said that an amendment would be made in Article 59(2) of the Constitution to make the voting in Senate election 'open' instead of polling through single transferable vote. The second amendment has been proposed in the Article 63(1) (c) which defines disqualifications to contest the election and this would enable dual nationals to contest the upcoming Senate elections and elections of National Assembly and provincial assemblies, he explained.

In case a dual national Pakistani wins an election, he would have to renounce his foreign citizenship. If he or she will lose the election, the dual nationality could be retained, he added.

Through the third amendment in Article 226, the Senate election has been added along with election of procedure of PM and or other positions, he said adding that the Article says that election of PM and other positions will be held 'open and through identifiable votes.'

The advisor said the proposed constitutional amendment bill will be a test case for all political elite of Pakistan within parliament, either having low or high number of seats, as they had been demanding fair election for decades. 'Since the passage of 1975 Election Act, no political party had never made any legislation to make the election process fair because every government always get benefits of the foul play by buying the disgruntled elements.'

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