President Arif Alvi has refused to sign the election reform bill. President Arif Alvi says that it was “very sad” for him as state leader to not sign a bill passed by Majlis Shoora.

ISLAMABAD: President Dr. Arif Alvi has declined to sign the election modification bill he had returned because he considers it to be "regressive," and he has requested Parliament to explore the use of technology in elections.

According to a statement by the president's secretariat on Sunday, Dr. Alvi "has not signed the bill despite the fact that the constitution that he defends will become law."

While alluding to Article 75 (2) of the Constitution, President Alvi stated that it was "extremely hard" for him as the head of state to refuse to sign a measure enacted by Majlis Shoora. He also detailed his justifications for "posterity."

Apart from the laws being regressive, the president stated in his reasoning that technology, particularly electronic voting machines, when utilized wisely, provides answers that decrease the effect of uncertainty, dissension, and accusations in our "ever-marred" and contested electoral processes.

"Technology can also increase transparency, make elections inclusive of our abroad Pakistanis' votes, boost trust, and lessen polarisation in order to eventually accomplish our elusive objective of free and fair elections," President Alvi stated.

Aside from that, the president remarked that he wants Pakistan to "leapfrog into the world of future, not solving today's challenges merely through the lens and experiences of yesteryear, but via newer and better scientific ways that are accessible, or even 'birthing' today."

The chief of state further stated that this can only happen with cross-party confidence-building measures and wide stakeholder participation.

"Why this was not done and why the obvious was not seen to opinion and decision-makers will remain a mystery to him," Dr. Alvi added.

"The present and future administrations and parliaments will have a decision between allowing the past to pull Pakistan down or allowing the lessons of the past and today's technology to propel us towards the bright progressive and vibrant future of Pakistan that has been our ambition," stated the president.

He also noted that the country would face "many similar decisions" in the future, and history has proven that countries who make the correct judgments 'grow,' while those that don't squander possibilities that hinder their way to greatness.

On June 9, the joint session of Parliament passed the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2022, and the National Accountability (Amendment) Bill, 2022, both of which were returned by President Arif Alvi.

The election amendment law sought to eliminate the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in elections, whilst the NAB measure, among other things, established a post-retirement mechanism for its chairman.

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarrar submitted both proposals, which the president had returned to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif because he had been "uninformed" of the legislative initiative under Article 46 before it was tabled.

However, following the approval of the joint session, the measures were referred back to the president for approval.

The 10-day deadline for providing consent to the law has passed. The status of the NAB law is unknown for the time being, but the president has rejected the election measure.

If the president had not returned the measure within 10 days, it would have been assumed that he had granted his consent.