ISLAMABAD: The opposition leader in the Senate on Monday proposed a judicial probe into the alleged rigging in 2018 and 2024 general elections.

“Let us move a joint resolution for the formation of a judicial commission to probe what happened in 2018 and 2024 elections,” PTI’s Syed Shibli Faraz said while speaking in the House, after PML-N parliamentary leader Irfan Siddiqui defended the law to regulate public assembly in Islamabad.

Alleging that the PML-N-led coalition government has been brought to power through manipulated forms 47, he also challenged the PML-N and PPP to hold a rally in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

“You won’t be able to gather more than two to three thousand people,” Senator Faraz said.

PML-N senator defends law to regulate public assembly in Islamabad

Chiding the government, he said it cannot take major decisions. “You can walk with crutches, but you cannot run,” he remarked. He said both Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and the finance minister have given economic revival plans. He said the government appears to be in a state of complete confusion as it does not know where to go.

“When you don’t know where are you going, all routes take you there,” he remarked. Noting that everything in the country is being run on debt, he said the IMF plan has gone for a six.

He asked the finance minister to explain as to why tax targets could not be achieved and where the country is being taken now.

Senator Faraz said that while the economy is in shambles the government is utilising all its resources to contain PTI and persecute its leadership.

He said no election tribunal has decided poll petitions in over six months and accused the government of making anti-people legislation.

The opposition leader slammed the law to regulate public meetings in Islamabad and said such fascist laws would not benefit democracy. Observing that the Constitution is clear, he said all individuals and institutions must operate within the confines of law and the Constitution.

Referring to Article 16 and several other articles of the Constitution dealing with fundamental rights, he said “whenever we legislate, the legislation should be in line with or at least follow the spirit of the Constitution”.

He regretted that the law penalises public assembly that is a right guaranteed by the Constitution, and prescribes a jail term of up to 10 years for the participants.

He said the hurry with which the law was passed clearly exposed that it was a PTI-specific law.

Rejecting the government’s claims that the law is meant to ensure free movement of residents of Islamabad, he asked as to why the entire Punjab, federal capital and boundary of KP have been blocked and sealed. He said Islamabad has been cut off from the rest of the country and the Motorway and GT Road have also been blocked.

Earlier, PML-N parliamentary leader Senator Irfan Siddiqui, while defending the law to regulate public assembly in the federal capital, claimed that such laws existed in several other countries, including the US, UK and France.

Senator Siddiqui cited Article 16 of the Constitution, which stated that every citizen has the right to assemble peacefully without arms subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by the law.

He said the law in fact puts a check on the unbridled discretion of the administration to handle public assemblies.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2024