Tariq ButtSaturday, August 09, 2014
From Print Edition
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has presented six demands to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif through Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq, the intermediary, to review his plan of the tsunami march on August 14, the Independence Day.
Meanwhile, the federal law ministry has not so far received any instructions from the prime minister to draft amendments to the existing statutes or a new law to be promulgated through a presidential ordinance.
This clearly indicates that some sticking points remain to finally break the political logjam.“I can confirm that we have not yet got any direction from the highest quarters to prepare any draft law,” a senior law ministry official said on condition of anonymity.
When contacted, Federal Law Secretary Barrister Zafarullah told The News that he was not aware of what was being discussed or agreed to at the political level. “We will move when we get instructions and will remain within the legal limits.”
A source said that Imran Khan’s six demands included vote recount in four National Assembly constituencies of Lahore, Sialkot and Lodhran; establishment of an independent commission to analyse the entire general elections held in May 2013; initiation of severe action against the returning officers found involved in rigging; fresh parliamentary polls if rigging was proved in the elections; reconstitution of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and massive electoral reforms.
“Some of these demands can be accepted while others can’t be,” a senior cabinet member said. “We can’t consent to any demand that creates doubts about the whole electoral process, which was rated as much better when compared to previous polls by local and international organisations.”
He said that the government was willing to promulgate a presidential ordinance to amend the relevant laws to order a fresh vote count in certain constituencies under special circumstances.“But it is impossible that recount would be ordered only in those constituencies where the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) nominees won and the PTI representatives lost. Such constituencies would be taken from both the sides if at all such a process was introduced,” the minister said.
Another source said that Imran Khan would present his demands on Monday, insisting that his march would be held in any case. The PTI chief announced on Saturday that he would unfold his demands on Monday.The source said that Imran Khan wanted total examination and analysis of the last polls on the pattern of the Afghan presidential election.
However, the cabinet member said that there were clear differences between the two elections. One, when the Afghan loser demanded recount, the winner had not taken oath and had not formed the government contrary to Pakistan’s case. Two, in Afghanistan the demand about vote recount was made immediately after the result was announced while in Pakistan it was aired much belatedly, a year later. Three, the scope of presidential election is too small and limited as against Pakistan’s polls.
He said that the government had no authority whatsoever to proceed against any district returning officer (DRO) or ROs because they were senior judicial officials and work under the high courts, which only were legally competent to take action against them.
The minister said that the government fully agreed with the PTI to introduce comprehensive electoral reforms and that was why a 33-member bipartisan committee had been set up under the chairmanship of Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar.He said the government would instantly implement the reforms recommended by the committee, which was created on the initiative of the prime minister.
Meanwhile, there are reports of wide difference of opinion within the PTI over the long march. A source said that a senior PTI stalwart told a federal minister in private conversation that one of its senior leaders was in fact responsible for pushing Imran Khan to this pass in the hope of becoming the prime minister, bypassing the party chairman. He said that it was common knowledge that this leader joined the PTI and quit the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on the advice of a former chief spymaster.
In the meantime, while concrete efforts are underway to break the deadlock, the government is showing no laxity in making preparations to deal with the long march through elaborate administrative measures. “We are taking no chances and have put in place different measures.”
Imran presents six demands for giving up Azadi March - thenews.com.pk