Pakistan Cabinet has decided to table a bill in Parliament to amend the Constitution for holding the Senate. “The government wants the (Senate) polls to be held in a transparent manner and without horse-trading. This is why we want Senate polls to be held through an open ballot,” Information Minister Shibli Faraz told the media after the meeting.
He said that in the past, money was used in Senate elections and votes were bought making the House election a mockery. He asked what was the use of an upper house in which people come through purchasing of votes.
Faraz also said that people opposing the proposed move are forgetting that their own party had demanded open ballot in the past.
“The government will present a constitutional amendment bill in the parliament so that Senate polls are held through open ballot,” he said.
Already the government petitioned to the Supreme Court, seeking direction to hold the upcoming Senate elections through open ballot. The decision is pending.
Senate elections will be held in the first half of next month and prime minister Khan’s ruling Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaf is wary that its own members may vote a gay party policy, according to Opposition parties that are against the move.
