ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday urged the opposition to accept electoral reforms and the implementation of electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly during the post-budget session, the prime minister said insisted that EVMs were the “only solution” for ensuring free and transparent general elections held in the country.
He thanked the members of the PTI and its allies for fully participating in the discussions on the budget for the new fiscal year. He said that he tried to speak on the first day of the budget session but the opposition did not let him.
He added that every election after 1970 has been controversial due to allegations of rigging including the recent Senate elections. “The only solution to this issue are EVMs,” he reiterated.
PM Imran Khan said the PTI government had been trying to bring election reforms for the last two years so parties would accept the election results. However, he said the opposition had refused to discuss the electoral reforms with the government for over a year.
He said his government was ready to listen if the opposition had any other advice regarding the reforms, adding that it was a matter of the “future of Pakistan’s democracy”.
Regarding the economic situation, the prime minister said the current account was in the negative when they came to power and the country was losing foreign exchange.
He said the government tried to not approach the IMF due to the harsh conditions and thanked China, UAE and Saudi Arabia for coming to Pakistan’s rescue until they were hit by the coronavirus pandemic
He paid tribute to Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin and his economic teams and said they had prepared the budget according to the vision of Pakistan.
“The budget should reflect a country’s vision,” he said, adding that the minister had “made the budget according to my vision for Pakistan”.
A day earlier, the National Assembly had passed the budget for the new fiscal year with majority vote amid a dismal showing by the opposition.
