PPP’s Nayyar Hussain Bukhari has said that his party was not taken on board before discussing the proposed amendment to Section 230 of the Election Act 2017 which would empower the caretaker setup.

“We saw that [PPP’s] Khursheed Shah and Naveed Qamar went to the speaker podium and asked him [about the bill], which means that they were not on board,” he said during his appearance on Aaj News show Spot Light.

A procedure has been settled down for legislation under the law and Constitution, he said, adding: “A bill is proposed in a joint session when the House in which it is introduced, transmit it to another House”.

He went on to add that the president can take a decision regarding policy making if needed during the caretaker government.

“Say if the National Assembly does not approve the amendments, the president can issue a presidential ordinance,” Bukhari added.

The coalition government proposed 54 amendments to Election Act 2017 on Tuesday to empower the caretaker government and “ensure transparency” in the electoral process.

Read more: Who will be caretaker PM if allies don’t agree on Dar?

Responding to a question regarding Army Act, he said that it can be applied if an offence comes under the Army Act.

“However, there is a need to introduce amendments in the Act so the right to a fair trial under the Constitution is ensured,” he added.

In the second part of the show, Coordinator to Prime Minister of Commerce and Industries Rana Ihsan Afzal Khan said that the economic situation of the country calls for an economic expert to be elected caretaker prime minister.

“When I say economist should be in the interim setup, it does not mean that the prime minister should be an economy expert. A finance minister [in caretaker setup] who has experience in the field can be a good combination,” he added.

PTI’s Muzzammil Aslam was against the nomination of an economic expert for the top slot in the caretaker setup.

“The basic responsibility of the caretaker prime minister is holding elections. He [prime minister] should be a good administrator whose job will be to monitor the matters regarding the election,” he stated.