Attorney General of Pakistan Khalid Jawed Khan has said that the government cannot hold the Senate election via ‘show of hands’ as it is not possible to conduct the polls through such an exercise.
The top lawyer said that the government does want to abolish the secret ballot system, but it will bring in an ‘open ballot’ system for free and fair elections instead of opting for the ‘show of hands’ method being reported by the media.
The comments from AG Khan came amid reports that the government has decided to approach the Supreme Court for advice on the issue. It was being reported that the government would seek the top court’s help and introduce the ‘show of hand’ system in the elections.
On Tuesday, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz said that the government was striving to make the Senate elections “free and fair”.
“Controversies have always surrounded the Senate elections. It is such an old practice that it is assumed that in the elections, [horse trading] will surely take place,” he had said.
He said the government has decided to move the apex court regarding the reforms in Senate elections. “The government seeks an election that is conducted through a “show of hands”, Faraz had said, adding that the government expects to get guidance from the SC long before the elections.
“This is in favour of all parties,” he had said.
The opposition, however, opposes the idea. It claims that the government’s decision to hold the Senate polls a month early reeks of a “conspiracy”.
Maryam Nawaz, the PML-N vice president, has said that the party didn’t oppose the open ballot system, but it would resist the change of the elections’ date.
