JI presents electoral reforms package to CEC

Published December 12, 2014
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Secretary General Liaquat baloch speaking to the media outside the Election Commission. –INP Photo
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Secretary General Liaquat baloch speaking to the media outside the Election Commission. –INP Photo

LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Secretary General, Liaqat Baloch, on Friday presented its proposed package of electoral reforms to the Chief Election Commissioner Justice (rtd) Sardar Raza Khan, in Islamabad, and demanded that all four members of the election commission (EC) should voluntarily resign.

Under the package, the JI proposed that the EC should be given a constitutional status at par with the Supreme Court of Pakistan because without financial and administrative autonomy, the EC could not hold free, fair and transparent elections.

The JI also proposed that general elections be held under the system of proportionate representation.

It also proposed that biometric system and electronic voting machines be adopted for polling.

It stressed that articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution must be implemented in its true spirit and all those not fulfilling these prerequisites should be barred from contesting elections.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Liaqat Baloch said that the conduct of all the four EC members was before the nation, therefore, they should step down and the commission be reconstituted.

Baloch said that the PTI negotiating teams should also define rigging and also decide the terms of reference for the judicial commission.

He said that JI could not ask the PTI to withdraw its call for protest unless the government took some basic and positive step towards an inquiry into rigging.

He said that in case rigging was proved, Nawaz Sharif would have to step down and the assemblies would be dissolved.

The JI leader said that the government's failure to hold local bodies elections was tantamount to denying basic rights to the masses.

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