Govt to promulgate ordinance for judicial commission this week

ISLAMABAD: Federal Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid on Tuesday said that the government will promulgate a presidential ordinance by the end of this week for constituting a judicial commission to probe election rigging.

Last week, the government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) agreed on the constitution of a judicial commission to probe allegations of rigging in the 2013 general elections

Speaking on Geo News political talk-show Capital Talk, Rashid said that, as per the constitution, the president cannot promulgate no ordinance can be promulgated if the Parliament is in session. Therefore the government would have to wait until the end of the session, he said.

“It would take longer if we go towards enacting a law (for the judicial commission). Therefore, it was decided that this ordinance would be promulgated when the assembly session ends this week,” said the information minister.

The current session of the National Assembly is expected to continue till Friday, March 27.

“The ordinance will be promulgated as soon as the session ends,” he added.

Sources say the government is considering to delay the Senate session – planned to be convened on March 30 – by a week so that it has enough time to constitute the judicial commission through the presidential ordinance.