After cheeky NA session, Government surrendered on Senate open ballot bill

During three-hour long sitting of National Assembly, an indecisive debate on the conflict-ridden constitution amendment bill seeking open Senate vote carried on.

This was the first time in the parliamentary history that the treasury members were seen pointing out lack of quorum after staging a walkout from the house to frustrate the opposition.  

The government members had to face embarrassment at the time when the NA deputy speaker Qasim Suri asked the house to be in order after a vote count.

Former PM Raja Pervez Ashraf of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was asked to continue his speech in which he censured the government over its assumed failure at all fronts, including economy and foreign policy.  “Those who wanted to expose us have exposed themselves,” Mr Ashraf said when the treasury members were going out of the hall after pointing out lack of quorum by Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry.

The opposition members chanted slogans “Dekho dekho kaun bhaga, chor bhaga, chor bhaga” and “Go Niazi go” when the members from the government were going out of the hall.

Earlier, the house witnessed a brawl between the government and opposition members when two PTI MNAs Attaullah and Faheem Khan, rushed to the protesting opposition members who had beleaguered the deputy speaker.

Finally, the deputy speaker read out prorogation order of the president, indicating that the government had ultimately decided not to hunt the constitution amendment bill.

Earlier, National Assembly standing committee for Law and Justice approved bill for holding Senate election by open ballot. Disagreement with the proposed bill came from PPP whereas parliamentarians belonging to PML-N didn't attend the meeting.

On Wednesday a bill to bring the 26th amendment to the Constitution to pave the way for open balloting in Senate elections.

It had been suggested that since Senate polls could not be held through show of hand because every voter has to show his preference in the ballot paper. Therefore, to certify open identity of the voter, the voter should be asked to mention his/her name on the back side of the ballot paper.