EVMs, right of vote to overseas Pakistanis' bills passed amid opposition uproar

Advisor the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Dr Zaheer-un-Din Babar Awan piloted the bill in the House and the motion to consider the bill was passed with majority vote. A total of 221 lawmakers voted in favor of the motion while 203 lawmakers opposed it.

Later, the Parliament passed the legislative proposal which pertains to fair, free and transparent election through utilization of technology and modern gadgets.

The bill is also aimed at granting voting rights to the Overseas Pakistanis which may only be possible by vesting exclusive authority in ECP with technical assistance of NADRA and other agencies.

It also asks to procure electronic voting machines (EVMs) for casting of votes in general elections. Amendments were sought in section 94 and 103 of the Election Act, 2017 to achieve the aforesaid objectives.

Majlis-e-Shoora passed the amendments moved by Advisor to Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Babar Awan while the amendments moved by MNA Mohsin Dawar, Senator Taj Haider and Senator Mushtaq Ahmed were rejected by the House.

Total 31 bills were passed by the Parlaiment. Among the bills that were passed are the State Bank of Pakistan Banking Services Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2021, the International Court of Justice (Review and Re-consideration) Bill, 202, the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2021, the Elections (Second Amendment) Bill, 2021, the Anti Rape (lnvestigation and Trial) Bill, 2021, and the Hyderabad Institute for Technical and Management Sciences Bill, 2021.

Others are the Islamabad Capital Territory Charities Registration, Regulation and Facilitation Bill, 2021; the SBP Banking Services Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2021; the National College of Arts Institute Bill, 2021; the Muslim Family Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 (Amendment in Section 4); the Muslim Family Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 (Amendment in Section 7); the Anti-Rape ( investigation and Trial) Bill , 2021; the Hyderabad Institute for Technical and Management Sciences Bill, 2021; the Islamabad Rent Restriction (Amendment) Bill, 2021; the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2021; the Corporate Restructuring Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2021; the Financial institutions (Secured Transactions) (Amendment) Bill, 2021; the Federal Public Service Commission (Validation of Rules) Bill, 2021; the University of Islamabad Bill, 2021; the Loans for Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Purposes (Amendment) Bill, 2021; the Companies (Amendment) Bill , 2021; the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2021; the Pakistan Academy of Letters (Amendment) Bill, 2021; the Port Qasim Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2021; the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (Amendment) Bill,2021; the Gwadar Port authority (Amendment) Bill, 2021; the Maritime Security Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2021; the Emigration (Amendment) Bill, 2021; the Privatization Commission (Amendment) Bill,2021; COVID-19 (Prevention of Hoarding) Bill, 2021; the Al-Karam International Institute Bill, 2021 and the Islamabad Capital Territory Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Bill, 2021.

The Parliament also passed a motion moved under Article 154(7) of the Constitution read with rule 20 of the Parliament (Joint Sittings) Rules, 1973 that the Parliament in Joint Sitting may consider and decide the fate of Council of Common Interests decision regarding population Census 2017, keeping in view the reservations of Government of Sindh.

The Joint Sitting also considered supplementary agenda comprising five bills and passed all of them. These bills were Islamabad Capital Territory Food Safety Bill, 2O21; the Unani, Ayurvedic and Homoeopathic Practitioners (Amendment) Bill, 2021; the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2021; the Provincial Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and the Regulation of Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

Later, the Speaker National Assembly prorogued the 10th jointing sitting of the parliament and congratulated the all lawmakers over legislation.