Truly electoral reforms have been prepared by MQM: Fawad

ISLAMABAD, Nov 14 (SABAH): Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain says electoral reforms is a national agenda and all political parties should come forward for this purpose.

In a tweet on Sunday, he said the electoral reforms is not and agenda of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf or Imran Khan.

The Minister emphasized that all political parties should cooperate to build up an electoral system under which entire leadership will have the trust on results and it will be a success of political system.

Meanwhile, in another tweet, Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said mainstream print and electronic media should highlight the reduction in sugar price across the country in the result of government action.

He also stressed the need to curb fake news tendency through legislation. The Information Minister said the courts should also now remove stay orders given to the sugar mills.

Meanwhile in an interview with a private TV channel, Fawad Chaudhry said that MQM and PML-Q leadership held meeting with PM Imran Khan prior to the proposed joint session of the parliament and exactly electoral reforms were discussed in these meetings and at the hall number 5 of the National Assembly a complete briefing was given and Electronic Voting Machine was demonstrated in front of both parties. He said that IT Minister Syed Aminul Haq, who belongs to MQM, is the incharge of the EVM and I-Voting. He said that the drafting of the laws has been done by Law Minister Barrister Farogh Naseem, who also belongs to MQM. He said that truly electoral reforms have been prepared by MQM. He said that briefing was given to every cabinet meeting regarding EVM during last six to eight months. He said that MQM and PML-Q ministers have given approval to the laws prior to sending in the assembly for final approval.

Fawad Chaudhry said that MQM and PML-Q ministers have not raised any objection on the proposed legislation in the cabinet, adding that these parties had also not raised any objection on the legislation during the meeting with prime minister. He said that PTI has proposed 56 electoral reforms out of which opposition is agreed on 40 reforms, adding that if opposition these electoral reforms not right then they should bring their own alternative reforms. He said that the opposition should bring counter proposals. He said that both parties had sought time to hold negotiations with the opposition on the matter of electoral reforms, adding that National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser is also holding negotiations with the opposition.

Fawad Chaudhry said that the best election law will be the one which will be introduced through consensus of all parties. He said that the next date for summoning the joint session of parliament has not been fixed so far and this will be done after holding negotiations with the coalition partners and opposition parties. He said that the resolution of the rigging allegations in elections is the use of technology.