Islamabad, March 25 (FN Agency) Pakistan’s Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry has said that the country’s future will be determined by the verdict of the apex court on the presidential reference seeking interpretation of Article 63-A of the Constitution, Express Tribune reported on Friday. Speaking to the media along with Energy Minister Hammad Azhar, Fawad referring to the Sindh House episode and said, “It is imperative to put an end to the trade of consciousness and sale-purchase of the vote to ensure a transparent democratic system.”
Fawad said the reference filed by the government under Article 186 of the Constitution was meant to get replies to those unanswered questions, mainly related to horse-trading., adding, that the country’s attorney general had argued argued in the court, that an MNA’s vote belonged to his party and a collective one and he was not an ordinary voter. Fawad said there was consensus that National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser will decide whether the vote of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s dissidents be counted or not.
He said the Election Commission of Pakistan failed to taken action against the alleged horse-trading in the recent Senate elections, even after the apex court had directed the ECP to ensure traceability of the vote so that the action could be taken against the vote-sellers, which led to opposition-sponsored special markets which they established to buy loyalties. Fawad said the apex court’s decision on the reference would change the political landscape in the country. It would be a “big step” if a parliamentarian was disqualified for a lifetime over horse-trading.