Electoral reforms: Govt summons joint session of Parliament tomorrow

• The government has decided to convene a joint session of the parliament on October 14. 
• Babar Awan says a summary for the session had been sent to the president by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.
• During the session, important legislations relating to the electoral reforms are likely to be tabled, say sources.

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to convene a joint session of the parliament on October 14 to table important bills, The News reported.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan has said that a summary for the joint session had been sent to the president by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.

Sources privacy to the matter said that a hectic legislative agenda is on the cards.

It is likely that the government's bill of electoral reforms, including the introduction of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and I-voting facility for overseas Pakistanis, and an ordinance concerning the powers of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) would be tabled in the joint session of the Parliament.

Electoral reforms bills sent to joint Parliament sitting

On September 30, the government was able to get the controversial Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and Elections (Second Amendment) Bill, 2021 referred to a joint sitting of Parliament amid strong protest by the Opposition.

These bills allow the PTI government to move closer to its aims to introduce an electronic voting machine (EVM) system in the country and give overseas Pakistanis the right to vote.

Opposition members had walked out after pointing out the lack of quorum, after which the motion to refer the bills to the joint sitting was adopted by the House.