ISLAMABAD: Terming it “contrary to democratic principles”, the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf (PTI) has rejected the 20th constitution amendment bill which has been passed by both the National Assembly and Senate.

“The PTI firmly rejects this amendment as it violates the spirit of the constitution and democratic principles,” party chief Imran Khan said in a statement here on Tuesday.

First the government committed a violation of the Constitution and then it brought the amendment to condone the wrongdoing, he said, adding that in simple words a “complete fraud” had been committed by the government in collusion with the main opposition party.

The cricketer-turned-politician said it was shocking that the Election Commission was given the final authority to choose a caretaker prime minister and chief ministers which was unheard of anywhere in the democratic world.

“Election commissions are meant to check governments during election process and ensure non-interference and strict neutrality. The election commission appointing a caretaker government will divest itself from performing its vital task of ensuring free, fair and transparent elections,” he remarked.

He said the passage of the amendment bill was example of the worst kind of horse trading and “muq-muqa” and once again proved that the PML-N was continuing to play out the farce of being an opposition party at the Centre. In reality it was “covering the wrongdoing of the government so that both could have a share in the corrupt power structures prevailing at present”.

Mr Khan said the release of Rs366 million in a matter of five hours for the senators, simply to enable the bill to sail through the upper house of parliament, was a reflection of the “shameful antics of the country’s legislators”.

While there was no money for development work in Balochistan or giving relief to the common citizen in terms of fuel and utility prices, it was readily available for bribery and corruption, he alleged.

According to Mr Khan, the 20th amendment is biased against the PTI in particular “which is becoming a real electoral threat to both the PPP and the PML-N”.

He said the deal on the matter between the PPP and PML-N was aimed at fortifying the two parties and stacking the deck against the PTI in the general election.