Joint parliament session: Govt bulldozes amendments to Election Act allowing use of EVMs, voting rights to overseas Pakistanis

According to Radio Pakistan, the following bills have been passed by the government in the joint sitting of parliament:

- The Elections Second Amendment Bill, 2021

- International Court of Justice (Review and Reconsideration) Bill, 2021

- The Islamabad Capital Territory Charities Registration, Regulation and Facilitation Bill, 2021

- The SBP Banking Services Corporation Amendment Bill

- The National College of Arts Institute Bill

- The Muslim Family Laws Amendment (Amendments in Section 4 & 7) Bill

- The Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Bill, 2021

- Hyderabad Institute for Technical and Management Sciences Bill

- Islamabad Rent Restriction Amendment Bill

- The Criminal Law Amendment Bill

- The Corporate Restructuring Companies Amendment Bill

- The Financial Institutions Secured Transactions Amendment bill

- The Federal Public Service Commission (Validation of Rules) Bill

- The University of Islamabad Bill

- The Loans for Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Purposes Amendment Bill

- The Companies Amendment Bill

- The National Vocational and Technical Training Commission Amendment Bill

- Pakistan Academy of Letters Amendment Bill

- The Port Qasim Authority Amendment Bill

- Pakistan National Shipping Corporation Amendment Bill

- Gwadar Port Authority Amendment Bill

- The Maritime Security Agency Amendment Bill

- The Emigration Amendment Bill

- The Privatization Commission Amendment Bill

According to Geo News correspondent Asif Bashir Chaudhry, nearly 29 bills have been passed in the joint sitting of parliament.

NA Speaker Asad Qaiser is back to lead the session and parliamentary proceedings are underway with an address by Prime Minister Imran Khan expected shortly.

- The Anti Rape (lnvestigation and Trial) Bill, 2021
- The Hyderabad Institute for Technical and Management Sciences Bill, 2021

National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser will no longer be chairing the proceedings after the passage of important legislation.

In his stead, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani will lead parliamentary proceedings.

The following bills have been passed by the government in the joint sitting of parliament so far:

- The State Bank of Pakistan Banking Services Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2021

- The International Court of Justice (Review and Re-consideration) Bill, 2021

- The Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2021

- The Elections (Second Amendment) Bill, 2021

Shahbaz Sharif, speaking to media outside Parliament, says legislation was bulldozed today and the National Assembly speaker had "trampled" Parliamentary traditions.

"Legislation cannot take place in such an atmosphere [...] the Opposition's votes counted were far fewer than their actual numbers," the PML-N president said.

Shahbaz said the Opposition told the speaker that the government's votes were not enough to get the bills passed, but Qaiser "did not listen to us".

"We believe three or four additional votes were counted in favour of the government," he said.

The Opposition have staged a walk out from the joint session of parliament as amendments to the Election Act, 2017, were bulldozed.

There was a hue and cry and a scuffle broke out. Treasury members banged their desks triumphantly as the results of the voting were announced.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan presented The Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and the Elections (Second Amendment) Bill, 2021, thereby permitting the use of electronic voting machines for polls and granting overseas Pakistanis the right to vote.

The lawmakers from the opposition benches protested after NA Speaker Asad Qaiser allowed the government to proceed with the legislative process.

PPP Senator Sherry Rehman slammed the Speaker for bulldozing the process, saying today is the black day in the Parliament's history.

The government's motion to table the electoral reforms bill passed with 221 votes in favour while 203 lawmakers voted against it.

PM’s Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs tabled the motion to amend electoral laws.

After the voting, the Opposition challenged the counting and demanded recounting.