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During a joint session of the parliament, the PML-N faced opposition to their move seeking ‘unbridled powers’ for caretakers. The ruling coalition members, including the PPP, JUI-F, and rival PTI, challenged the controversial clause of the Election (Amendment) Bill, 2023, as reported by The News.
Even before the clause empowering the caretaker setup to make major administrative and economic decisions was tabled in the house, the opposition to it was evident. JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza stated that his party did not support the amendment, and PPP senators, including Mian Raza Rabbani and Taj Haider, along with Jamat-e-Islami’s (JI) Mushtaq Ahmad Khan and PTI’s Ali Zafar, pointed out that the contentious clause had not been discussed during the parliamentary committee’s meeting.
Senator Taj Haider made it clear that the controversial clause was not discussed in the committee meeting, and Senator Raza Rabbani opposed the insertion of clause 2A, which amended Section 230 of the Election Act, 2017. He argued that the role of caretakers should remain limited and distinct from the elected government, as they were meant to manage day-to-day affairs and ensure fair elections.
The insertion of the words “on urgent matters” after “day-to-day matters” in Clause 230(a) of the Elections Act, 2017, was strongly objected to by Senator Raza Rabbani, as he believed it could grant vague and extensive powers to the unelected caretaker government.
JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza emphasized that his party could not support legislation that went against the Constitution, as it clearly specified that a caretaker government should not make significant decisions.
In defense of the amendments, Minister for Law Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar stated that empowering the caretaker government was necessary to maintain continuity in measures agreed upon with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He asserted that the proposed amendments were finalized after consultations with all political parties represented in the parliament.
The debate continued, with various senators expressing their objections and concerns regarding the bill’s inclusion in the agenda without providing copies to all members. However, Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif and Minister for Economic Affairs and Political Affairs Sardar Ayaz Sadiq supported the amendments, asserting that they were made with the consensus of all political parties.
Eventually, Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf deferred eight bills, including the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2023, to allow lawmakers time to consider the proposed amendments further.
