ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Wednesday termed the passage of 33 bills in a joint sitting of parliament a “big victory” for the government and said the opposition’s dream of moving a ‘no-confidence’ motion against Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani would not come true.

“The opposition will remember this defeat for a long time and must have realised about its strength today (Wednesday) in parliament and now its dream to remove the Senate chairman will not come true,” he said at a press conference.

“Those considering moving no-confidence motion against government functionaries should have a second thought about their assessments,” he added.

On the other hand, Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed gratitude to the government’s allies for supporting legislative business in the joint sitting of parliament on Wednesday, when 33 bills were passed.

Earlier, presiding over a meeting of parliamentary parties, the prime minister said he wanted to make electoral reforms not for his personal interest but for ensuring fair and transparent elections in the country.

PM expresses gratitude to allies for supporting legislative business

Before the joint sitting of parliament, a group of reporters dashed the prime minister in the corridors of parliament where he denied the possibilities that the opposition lawmakers had received threatening telephone calls so that they could not attend the joint sitting.

The prime minister expressed no fear about the outcome of the joint sitting and said: “When a sportsman enters the playing field, he does not care about win or defeat.”

Following the government’s defeat in the National Assembly on November 8 when the opposition due to majority of its members had sabotaged two bills, the latter was planning to bring no-confidence motion against the Senate chairman. The opposition wanted to assess its strength by moving the motion whether it could move a similar motion the prime minister.

“Today (Wednesday) the government received 223 votes in favour for 33 bills, while the number of opposition members was quite low,” Fawad Chaudhry said, adding that the Senate belonged to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and allies had reposed their full confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister Khan.

The minister said majority of the members of both houses were present and important bills were passed in the joint sitting of parliament, adding that the bills on electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voting right for overseas Pakistanis were of utmost importance.

He said it had proved once again that PTI is the largest party of the country having a broad-based support of the masses from every nook and corner of the country. “The approval of these laws has been the commitment of Prime Minister Imran Khan and the PTI.”

Fawad Chaudhry said the PTI was the only party that wanted to give the right to vote to overseas Pakistanis. He said that during the meeting of parliamentary parties, the prime minister thanked the allies, senators and members of the National Assembly for attending it despite illness and other compulsions.

The information minister said the opposition consisted of weak players and has been defeated many times in the past, adding that the process of disintegration of the opposition would further accelerate after the passage of legislative agenda.

He said the speeches of PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari were reflection of their defeat in today’s (Wednesday) legislation process in parliament. In a tweet, he said that after their speeches it had become clear now who had majority in parliament and who were escaping.

The minister said the passage of electoral reforms package would ensure free, fair and transparent elections in the country, adding that parliament had passed unprecedented legislation, including the bills linked to the basic rights of citizens and foundation of free and fair elections had been laid. He thanked the coalition partners for extending support to the government.

The minister said conducting elections was a responsibility of the Election Commission and making legislation was a responsibility of parliament. “The legislation will help in protecting the rights of women and children. Special courts for women and children will be set up,” he added.

He said the government had made optimum effort to evolve a consensus with the opposition on electoral reforms and adopt the bills unanimously, but the latter played a negative role in the legislation process.

Fake news

During the press conference, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Shahbaz Gill said he had run a fake news that PM Khan would speak on the floor of the house after the passage of bills. “In fact we wanted the opposition members to sit in the house and not boycott it,” he added.

Meanwhile, MQM leaders said in a press talk that the government had fulfilled their demands regarding amendments in Census 2017 and establishment of Hyderabad University and legislation had been done in this regard.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2021