Will Elections Be on Time? Controversies Erupt in Senate Session

As lawmakers from the Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) in the Senate appeared to advocate for a last-minute postponement of the general elections, a surprising statement came from a PML-N senator on Monday.

Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed of PML-N astonished many by asserting that the widespread rejection of nomination papers for Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) candidates was detrimental to democracy.

Senator Sayed warned that weakening political parties would ultimately weaken the federation. Emphasizing the need to avoid repeating past mistakes, he expressed concerns about the electoral processes of 2018, which he alleged were manipulated and engineered by intelligence and security agencies.

Also Read: PTI To Challenge Nomination Rejections in Election Tribunals

He specifically mentioned the result transmission system (RTS) fiasco, stressing the importance of not repeating such incidents for the progress of the democratic process.

Mr. Sayed also voiced his disapproval of enforced disappearances, stating that it goes against the principles of human rights and democracy ingrained in the DNA of Pakistanis. He emphasized the necessity for the rule of law to prevail in the country.

The Senate unanimously adopted a PPP resolution on Monday, seeking severe punishment for those engaging in malicious and negative propaganda against the armed forces.

The resolution, initially proposing a 10-year disqualification from public office for such individuals, was later amended to call for action in accordance with the law.

The resolution expressed deep concern over negative propaganda on social media platforms and acknowledged the significant sacrifices of the armed forces in the war against terror and for the defense of the country’s borders. The Senate recommended that the government take necessary steps to award severe punishment as per the law for those involved in such propaganda.