Muhammad Asad
ISLAMABAD: Shehbaz Sharif Plan for Overseas Pakistanis Representation in the National Assembly is a Fraud and it is also against the Supreme Court’s Verdict on the subject. It was observed by Special Advisor to Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Babar Awan flanked by the Minister of State of Information and Broadcasting Mr. Furrakh Habib during a news conference in Islamabad on Monday.
Babar Awan was responding to the recent suggestions floated by the Opposition Leader National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif regarding overseas Pakistanis representation in the national assembly and Senate of Pakistan.
Dr. Awan was in the view that Shehbaz Sharif suggested that overseas Pakistanis should come to the country to cast their vote and they should allocate 5-7 seats in NA and 2 seats in Senate of Pakistan. Awan said that in fact, Sharif want to deny the overseas Pakistan of their right to vote.
Dr. Babar Awan grilled the Shehbaz for making short cuts and avoiding engagement with the government on electoral reforms and advised the opposition leader to speak at the parliament.
Babar Awan claimed that Shehbaz Sharif suggestions are against the decision of the Supreme Court, which categorically said that overseas Pakistanis right to vote already exist in the Constitution of Pakistan and no one can deny them from their right. So, Sharif had committed contempt of court by floated such suggestions.
Dr. Babar Awan vowed that PTI government will do all which is essential to include the overseas Pakistanis in power because Prime Minister Imran Khan had promised them to give them say in the parliament.
Awan said that government wants to engage the opposition in electoral reforms, and they must sit in the parliament to play their constructive role and do not seek other alternative roads.
Awan accused the opposition for raising cuts in the budget of accountability institutions of the country on different pretexts instead of raising genuine objection to the allocation in any specific head.
Dr. Babar Awan informed the media men that Security agencies will brief the parliamentary leaders on the situation in Afghanistan after US troops withdrawal, and its impacts on Pakistan in coming days.
While responding to a media query Dr. Awan said that Nawaz Sharif must surrender himself in front of law and come back to the country to serve his sentence.
Awan vowed that parliament is supreme institution of the country and Opposition leader had challenged parliament’s supremacy twice during recent days.
According to him, parliament have the mandate to legislate on all affairs of the state and no one else has this authority.
