PPP concerned over draft amendments to Elections Rules 2017

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has expressed its reservations over the draft amendments in the Elections Rules 2017 published by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on September 22, 2023 and asked the ECP to remove contradiction in draft amendments in Election Rules 2017. The ECP had asked for suggestions and objections on the amendments by 7th October, 2023.

PPP Secretary General Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari, through a letter addressed to the ECP secretary, expressed serious concern on a condition imposed in the proposed Form-68 that requires the contesting candidates to provide the total election expenses under campaign finance (under Section 211(2) of the Elections Act, 2017) made by a party.

He also observed that sub-rule (3) of rule 161 requires the political parties to submit the details of election expenses within sixty days of the publication of the names of returned candidates in the official gazette, but Form-68 requires the contesting candidates to provide the total election expenses under campaign finance (under Section 211(2) of the Elections Act, 2017) made by a party within ten days of polling day (in case of returned candidate) and within thirty days (in case of all other contesting candidates) as per Sections 98, 124 & 134 of the Act.

Bokhari wrote that this is a contradiction and an impossibility, as the contesting candidates cannot provide the information that is not yet available from their respective parties. He requested the ECP to omit the column in Form-68 that requires “Total election expenses under campaign finance (under Section 211(2) of the Elections Act, 2017) made by a party”.

Meanwhile, in statement on Saturday while proposing a ‘Charter of Pakistan’ to come out of the financial crisis to bring the economic stability, Nayyar Hussain Bokhari proposed a “Charter of Pakistaniyat” and said that all the stakeholders should come together on one page to come out of the dire economic crisis and to achieve economic self-reliance and self-sufficiency.

“In order to get out of the dire economic situation faced by all the stakeholders, they will have to take difficult decisions to get out of the clutches of international financial institutions,” he said. Bokhari also supported government initiative of evacuation of all the illegal foreigners from the country and said that for the sake of a stable Pakistan, all illegal foreigners should be deported and every citizen should help the State and government institutions for the evacuation of foreigners by making the country the first priority.

He said the value of the rupee should be increased by the strictest measures in order to stop the smuggling of foreign currency and dollars and purchase of expensive vehicles and luxury imported goods should be banned. Bokhari said the unnecessary expenses and extra privileges of the state, government and judiciary should be returned voluntarily and the elite should sacrifice for the better life of the common people. He said that due to the increase in the purchase price of wheat during the era of former president Asif Ali Zardari, record wheat production was achieved. He said that provision of maximum financial resources should be ensured to bring the land under cultivation. He said in order to ensure the supply of cheap food items, the country has to be self-sufficient in agricultural commodities such as wheat, sugarcane, cotton production areas and agricultural zones. Bokhari said the PPP will continue the agricultural self-sufficiency projects through farmer-friendly policies under its manifesto after coming into power.