ISLAMABAD: The Senate Committee on Law and Justice Tuesday unanimously approved a bill to bind the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold the election of local government bodies within a period of 45 days of the dissolution of local government.
“The Constitutional Amendment Bill 2013” was moved by Senator Mohsin Khan Leghari that was later passed by the body unanimously.
The bill seeking amendment in Article 140 A of the Constitution would now be tabled before the Senate for consideration.
The mover said currently the country lacked any legislation to bind the government for holding local government polls within a certain timeframe. He said constitution obligates the holding of general election within 90 days of the expiry of government's term, so such law should be replicated in case of general body polls too.
Unfortunately the country could not hold local body polls since 2005 owing to absence of relevant laws, said Leghari.
The committee also examined a bill moved by Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Senator Tahir Mashhadi for giving voting rights to expatriates.
During discussion, Zafar Ali Shah of Pakistan Muslim League-NAwaz (PML-N) said such legislation would adversely affect national political system and suggested that the overseas Pakistanis should only cast their votes in their homeland.
Additional Secretary Election Commission Sher Afgan Nizai apprised the committee that there were some legal and financial issues hindering such legislation that followed the committee putting off the matter till next meeting.
The committee rejected a bill moved by Mashhadi seeking right of contesting parliamentary elections by the dual nationals and cited the similar laws in other countries.
Senator Aitzaz Ahsan of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) suggested that such restriction should also be extended to judges, army officers and bureaucrats.
The Senate body also passed a bill to increase the sentence for the offences like stealing, selling, removing and other physical violation of dead bodies in the country to make a strong deterrent to grave diggers and violation of dead bodies.