Staff Report
KARACHI: Former Senate chairman Mian Raza Rabbani has said on Thursday that the ‘Presidential Reference’ filed by the President of Pakistan, with reference to the Senate Elections, is malafide and an attempt to mislead the Supreme Court.
In his statement, Rabbani said that on the question of ‘open ballot’ the Federal Government, tabled the ‘Twenty Sixth Constitutional (Amendment) Bill’ on the 29th of October, 2020, seeking amendments in Articles 59 and 226, Constitution, 1973. The said Bill was referred to and is pending before the Standing Committee on Law and Justice, National Assembly of Pakistan.
With such a Bill pending before Parliament, for the President to file such a Reference, is impinging upon the sovereignty of Parliament to legislate.”
The Federal Government having failed to materialize a 2/3rd majority to amend the Constitution in both the Houses of Parliament, through this Reference is trying to circumvent Parliament and the Constitution, by now taking a U-turn, by tending that the elections to the Senate are not elections under the Constitution, 1973, hence a constitutional amendments is not required.
The President, like in an earlier Reference, filed against Judges of the Superior Courts, is misleading to use the Supreme Court to further their political agenda.
