Pak govt's ordinance on Senate polls 'an attack on Constitution, Parliament': PPP

Karachi [Pakistan], February 8 (ANI): Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Sherry Rehman on Sunday said that the Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government issued an ordinance for open balloting in the upcoming Senate elections 'overnight', calling the move an 'attack on the Constitution and the Parliament'.
Accompanied with other PPP leaders during a press conference, Rehman said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) government does not have a two-thirds majority to pass a constitutional amendment, Geo News reported.
"Why did the government introduce an amendment only one month before the Senate polls?... Issuing ordinances overnight in this way is an attack on the Constitution as well as the parliament," she said.
The Senator further argued that the government should have taken the Opposition's viewpoints on board before issuing the ordinance.
Meanwhile, senior PPP leader Raza Rabbani said: "The PTI-led government did not hold any dialogue with the Opposition regarding the amendment."
He further added that the ordinance issued by the government in relation to the Senate election is based on "malicious intent", according to Geo News.
"The government is making the Senate elections controversial. The law allows us to challenge this ordinance in court... The cabinet is blind and it seems it cannot read the Constitution," he remarked.
This comes after President Arif Alvi ratified a summary approved by the Federal Cabinet on Saturday, officially paving the way for open ballot in Senate elections.
The Ordinance states that if Supreme Court finds Senate elections do not fall under Article 226 of the Constitution, an "open and identifiable ballot" will be held, Geo News reported.
Earlier, the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Gulzar Ahmed remarked on Thursday that the Senate is a "mature and serious forum" that "needs secrecy to perform its functions," reported Geo News.

The Chief Justice added that there is a need to "remain cognisant of corrupt practices entering the Upper House."

"Parties should also adopt a democratic attitude within themselves -- the head of a political party should not be a dictator," he maintained.(ANI)