ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani Supreme Court ruled on Monday that upcoming senate elections would continue to be held through a secret ballot as per the constitution, but directed the election commission to use technology to check against corrupt practices in the polls.
The court’s 4:1 verdict came in response to a presidential reference filed on December 23, 2020 seeking the court’s opinion on whether voting in senate elections could be held through an open ballot.
“It is the duty of the Election Commission of Pakistan [...] to ensure that the election is conducted honestly, justly, fairly, and in accordance with law and that corrupt practices are guarded against,” the court said in its order.
Attorney General Khalid Javed Khan said it was now up to the election commission to select what method to use in the upcoming elections to check corruption.
“The ECP is bound to investigate and trace the ballot to see whether any corrupt practice occurred,” he said in a statement after the verdict, adding that the election commission was “constitutionally bound” to follow the opinion of the Supreme Court and implement it without any amendments to existing rules or legislation.
Senate elections are scheduled to be held on March 3 for 48 seats. Each member of the Upper House of the Parliament is elected for a six-year term. Half of the senate members retire after every three years and new one are elected. The house has equal representation from all four provinces.
The government of Prime Minister Imran Khan has argued that open balloting would introduce transparency into a voting process that has long been plagued by irregularities, with national and provincial lawmakers accused of selling their votes.
Leaders of an 11-party opposition alliance, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), have opposed the government’s move to try to hold senate elections through an open ballot, and one of the major parties in the alliance, the Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam, had filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the Election Amendment Ordinance 2021.
Opposition parties on Monday hailed Monday’s verdict as a victory for law and justice.
“The Supreme Court’s judgment has established the supremacy of the constitution,” Pakistan Peoples Party, a major opposition party, said in a statement.
Pakistan court ends controversy, rules senate polls to be held through secret ballot
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Pakistan court ends controversy, rules senate polls to be held through secret ballot
- Supreme court asks election commission to use technology to check for corruption in elections
- Senate elections for 48 seats are scheduled to be held on March 3
Pakistani immigration agents express concern over US visa ban
- Trump’s administration is suspending immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries
- The pause will begin on January 21, a State Department spokesperson said this week
Pakistani immigration agents and members of the public expressed concern to US immigration ban on Thursday.
US President Donald Trump’s administration is suspending processing for immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries, a State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday, as part of Washington’s intensifying immigration crackdown.
The pause, which will impact applicants from Latin American countries including Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay, Balkan countries such as Bosnia and Albania, South Asian countries Pakistan and Bangladesh, and those from many nations in Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean, will begin on January 21, the spokesperson said.
“It is a matter of concern,” said travel and immigration agent, Mohammad Yaseen, in Karachi, Pakistan’s biggest city.
“All these people who were waiting for a long time for their visas to be issued, they also had an appointment date, their visas would be suspended. They will be affected by this news and this ban,” he added.
A local resident and banker, Amar Ali, said the ban will economically dent Pakistan because many Pakistanis earn and send dollars back home which boosts its economy.
Another local resident, Anwer Farooqui, urged President Trump to reconsider this decision and keep Pakistan, which is a very reliable friend of the United States, at the same level.
The cable, sent to US missions, said there were indications that nationals from these countries had sought public benefits in the United States.
The move, which was first reported by Fox News, does not impact US visitor visas, which have been in the spotlight given the United States is hosting the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics.
The decision follows a November directive to US diplomats asking them to ensure that visa applicants are financially self-sufficient and do not risk becoming dependent on government subsidies during their stay in the US, according to a State Department cable seen by Reuters at the time.
Trump has pursued a sweeping immigration crackdown since returning to office in January. His administration has aggressively prioritized immigration enforcement, sending federal agents to major US cities and sparking violent confrontations with both migrants and US citizens.
