ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel operating without a legal cover for about 33 months passed on Wednesday a proposed law meant for electoral reforms.

The proposed law is set to land in parliament shortly as the Election Commission of Pakistan continues to warn that delay in the passage of law could affect the quality of the next general elections.

Speaking at a press conference along with some members of the parliamentary committee on electoral reforms, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, who heads the panel, said the committee had approved the Election Bill, 2017.

Some members say the committee should have held open, transparent proceedings

The 33-member parliamentary committee was set up on July 25, 2014, and under its terms of reference it was to accomplish the task of electoral reforms within three months.

Many believe that a lot of work had been done by the Senate committee on electoral reforms headed by the late Senator Jehangir Badar and a committee of the National Assembly headed by S.A. Iqbal Qadri of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

The main committee and the sub-committee headed by Law Minister Zahid Hamid held over 100 meetings. Only the National Assembly secretariat can reveal how much this slow-paced progress has cost the national exchequer, but it is believed that the cost was huge.

Many wonder as to why the committee was so swift in approving a new eligibility criterion for those to be appointed as chief election commissioner and members of the ECP, but took so long in finalising the proposed election law.

Another objection was the non-transparent manner in which the committee operated as almost all its meetings were held in camera.

Even some members of the committee, while talking to Dawn, agreed that the committee meant to make the electoral processes more transparent should have held open and transparent proceedings to get a swift input from various quarters.

Mr Dar said the parliamentary committee conducted as many as 90 sessions, and added that the bill was drafted after taking advice from the ECP and recommendations from political parties.

Speaking on the occasion, Qaumi Watan Party chairman Aftab Sherpao said that all political parties wanted better electoral laws and transparent elections.

Sahibzada Tariq, Jamat-i-Islami’s representative on the committee, said his party expressed reservations over the 10 per cent women vote clause, adding that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf expressed concern over the electronic voting machines and right of vote for overseas Pakistanis.

Meanwhile, PTI leaders staged a walkout from the committee’s proceedings. PTI leader Shireen Mazari said that the walkout was staged as the government did not respond to her party’s demands. “We will announce our next course of action after the party’s consultative session,” she said.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2017