Shehbaz Sharif labels EVMs 'Evil Vicious Machines'

In the joint parliamentary session, PML-N President and Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif has said that the government wants to pass black laws through the parliament vowing to deter government’s move. He said the government does not want to go to the people and it is relying on the Electronic Voting Machines, terming the EVMs “Evil Vicious Machines”, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The joint parliamentary session was held on Wednesday under the chair of National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser. The session was opened with a heated debate on the Electoral Reforms Bill, 2021 by PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif. 

While taking floor in the house, the PML-N president expressed opposition’s firm resolve to oppose tooth and nail the government’s attempt to railroad unjustified legislations through the parliament. 

“We will become an iron wall in front of these legislations,” Shehbaz vowed.

 He alleged that the government and allies wanted to bulldoze the EVM bill from the parliament. “An electoral reforms committee formed by the Nawaz Sharif government had held 117 consultative meetings and passed bills. However, the PTI-formed committee held meetings only in June, August and September,” he added.

The government ministers brought all kind of accusations against the Election Commission of Pakistan when the commission refused to implement government’s order regarding use of EVMs, he added. 

“Only eight countries are using EVM technology. Even Germany, a country with advanced technology, does not use the EVM for polls,” he added.

Addressing directly to the speaker, Shehbaz said: “Where your letter and consultation has gone? If you resign from the PTI, we will lift you on our shoulders.” 

He reminded the speaker that he wrote him a letter on Nov 14 in reply to his (speaker’s) epistle on Nov 12 in which the speaker agreed to resolve the national issues with mutual consultation. 

“In my rejoinder, I made suggestions for creating consensus. But you (speaker) did not send any reply to my letter,” he added.

Shehbaz said they got a notice after 16 hours that the government was holding the joint parliamentary session. He rued that the speaker’s talk of the consultation was only a ploy to buy time so that the government could secure as much votes as it could before the joint session. 

“You were not interested in consultations at all,” he regretted. 

The opposition leader kept on lashing out at the government for stealing elections equating the Results Transmission System (RTS) to ‘Road Transport System’ by using which the government came to power in 2018. 

“Now the Road Transport System is being modified with the Evil Vicious Machin,” he said satirically. 

Shehbaz said that overseas Pakistanis were our pride saying he did not have any objection over granting them voting rights. “But we have objection over the method which the government is employing. Government has its own axe to grind. It’s only befooling the overseas Pakistanis. The ECP has caught Daska’s election thieves. How could they hold fair elections now?” he added. 

He asked the speaker to complete the consultation process on the electoral reforms bill and adjourned the session. 

“We are ready for consultation. During the present PTI tenure, the name of ‘change’ is synonym with ‘destruction’, ‘accountability’ means ‘revenge’ and ‘rigging’ means ‘EVM’, the PML-N president maintained. 

Prime Minister Imran Khan was not present during the speech of the Opposition leader in National assembly. 

Lamenting on the economic condition, Shehbaz said that today the dollar had soared to Rs175, sugar price hiked to Rs130/kg and flour was available at Rs85/kg. “The rulers talk of Medina state model. Making sach claim does not behoove them,” he added.  

He again called upon the speaker to use his authority and hold a thorough debate on these laws. Otherwise, the nation will not accept these black laws.

PM’s Advisor on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan pleaded the speaker if the opposition wanted to hold a debate on the Election Amendment Bill, 2021, then let it be delayed. On which, the speaker deferred the bill for some time.