Minister for Information Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said on Wednesday that speeches of PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari were reflection of their defeat in the legislation process in the parliament. He said after their speeches it has become clear now that who had majority in the Parliament and who were escaping. “Their speeches were those of exhausted pehalwans (wrestlers), and they have lost all hope,” he said while speaking to the media in Islamabad. He said opposition should change its strategy and sit with the government on the negotiating table. The information minister, refuting the opposition’s claims of fewer votes available to the government, said the government’s alliance had secured 233 votes in the joint sitting, as it also had an edge in Senate. “The opposition should stop being so stubborn and admit it cannot defeat us,” he said. Chaudhry said the next general elections would be held through the EVMs. He said that due to the Opposition’s “attitude”, the government was “forced to pass the bills unilaterally”.
Explaining a technical matter related to the electoral amendment bill, he said overseas Pakistanis would vote via i-voting (involving the use of the internet), while local citizens would cast their ballot through EVMs (an electronic procedure).
The information minister said bills related to the rights of women and children were also passed in the Parliament today, adding that PTI had, for the first time, passed bills pertaining to inheritance.
Taking a jibe at the Opposition, Chaudhry said they had made a schedule: “For one week, they will speak against institutions, and in the next week, against someone else.”
“They (Opposition) will see an increase in their setbacks in the days to come,” Chaudhry claimed.
On the Opposition’s decision to move the court against the bills, he said both the houses had approved the legislation, so it would not be an easy task” to challenge them. “Both the houses have passed the bills […] it will be hard to challenge them, but they can be challenged,” he added.
He said the passage of Bills related to use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and grant of right to vote to overseas Pakistanis had proved once again that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was the largest party of the country having broad based support of the masses from every nook and corner of the country.
He said the Majlis-e-Shoora has okayed unprecedented legislation passing the bills linked the basic rights of citizens and foundation of free and fair elections has been laid. He thanked coalition partners for extending support to the government.
There will be i-voting system for Pakistanis living abroad, conducting elections was the responsibility of the Election Commission and legislation was responsibility of the Parliament. He said the legislation would help protecting the rights of women and children. Special courts for women and children would be set up.
He said that government had made optimum effort to evolve consensus with the opposition on electoral reforms and adopt the bill unanimously but it played a negative role in the legislation process.
Criticizing opposition leadership, he said opposition leaders were political dwarfs. Those considering to move no-confidence motion against government functionaries should have a second thought about their assessments. He said former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif did not play even cricket without support of his own umpires. The politics of those brought up in the lap of martial law remained dependent on others’ support.
He said consequent upon the legislation passed by Majlis -e Shoora, special courts for women and children to be set up in the country. He said he had predicted in the morning that Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif were the ‘defeated people’.
