ISLAMABAD: As the passage of the 24th constitutional amendment bill from the upper house of parliament, which is essentially linked with timely conduct of 2018 general elections, hits snags owing to the opposition’s reservations over the modus operandi of third party audit of results of the 2017 national population census, Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani on Wednesday called upon parliament to ensure holding of polls on time.

“We have already missed the boat on one account and that is across-the-board accountability,” he said.

It was the third consecutive sitting with the bill on agenda, but the house witnessed ‘mysterious absence’ of senators from different political parties. In all, 68 members attended the session for some time, but many left after getting their presence recorded. As a result, the strength of 69 members required to pass an amendment bill was not available even for a moment.

In all, 31 members were absent while five others were on leave. Those who did not turn up included 11 senators of the PPP, five of the PML-N, four each from the MQM, Awami National Party and Fata, three of the PTI, two of PML-Q and one each of JUI-F, BNP-Awami and National Party.

Though the house will now meet on Friday, it was decided that the bill would come up on agenda on Monday. The chair observed that both sides wanted time to gather their members.

In a related development, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi asked Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah to solicit PPP’s help in resolving the political crisis over delimitation of constituencies on the basis of provisional census results.

The prime minister sought PPP’s help in getting the 24th amendment bill passed from the Senate.

According to a statement issued by the office of the opposition leader, Mr Shah told the prime minister in plain words that the matter was beyond his powers and advised him to contact the PPP leadership. The PM asked him to assist in establishing a contact with the party leadership and he promised to convey the message to his party leadership.

PM Abbasi expressed desire for a meeting or telephonic conversation with Asif Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. Mr Shah said the government should make a request in writing with its proposals.

PPP’s parliamentary leader in the Senate Taj Haider told Dawn that his party had reservations over the modus operandi for the third party audit of provisional results of the census. “It would be an exercise in futility if the third party audit is conducted by those responsible for the flawed census,” he said.

He said there were indications that the government was backtracking on the commitment for re-verification in five per cent census blocks.

Parliamentary leader of the MQM Tahir Mashhadi, when contacted, said his party would vote in favour of the bill on Monday. “Our grievance has been addressed by the prime minister’s commitment given on the floor of the National Assembly for audit of results of five per cent census blocks,” he elaborated.

Trichotomy of powers

The Senate chairman reserved his ruling after declaring conclusion of the discussion on the state institutions and their role in the scheme of trichotomy of powers.

Senator Farhatullah Babar warned against creeping Talibanisation of the tribal areas on the one hand and denying the area people basic medical facilities on the other. He said recently the government had asked Doctors Sans Frontiers, an international NGO working in Bajaur and Kurram agencies, to pack up without giving any reason. “The doctors working for that organisation are not foreigners but Pakistani nationals who operate through local hospitals providing medical care in most disturbed areas and there is no reason why they should be banned,” he said.

The near siege of the tribal areas and depriving its people of fundamental rights and basic medical care would only widen the gulf between the people and security agencies, Mr Babar warned.

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2017