ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly approved a bill proposing amendments to the Elections Act 2017 in order to bar lawmakers from changing their party affiliation at a later stage.
Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf MNA protested in the National Assembly against the approval of the bills on Tuesday.
Once enacted, the legislation will prevent individuals who ran in the general election as independent candidates from later changing their affidavit to declare affiliation with any political party.
This law could potentially block the PTI’s return to parliament after its “resurrection” in the assemblies following the Supreme Court’s July 12 ruling, which had declared Imran Khan’s party eligible for reserved seats.
Since that ruling, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has notified 93 lawmakers from three provincial assemblies as PTI members, including 29 from Punjab, 58 from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and six from Sindh.
Additionally, 39 National Assembly members who had declared their affiliation with PTI in their nomination papers have also been officially recognized as PTI members by the ECP.
The National Assembly’s agenda for Tuesday was led by a bill to amend election laws, aiming to prevent the PTI from securing reserved seats following the Supreme Court’s July 12 ruling.
The agenda included a motion to suspend rules for presenting the Election Amendment Bill 2024 and the Legislative and Amendment Bill 2024, with Bilal Azhar Kiani introducing the Election Amendment Bill 2024 for approval.
Additionally, the assembly planned to present the Standing Committee’s report on the Election Amendment Bill 2024, along with various private bills from members for legislative consideration.
The agenda also featured a resolution by Sahibzada Sibghatullah to reassess government agreements with private power plants, and a motion from MQM to discuss the performance of electricity distribution companies.
A question-and-answer session was scheduled, along with a notice addressing delays in passport issuance. Proposed amendments to the National Assembly Rules and Procedures 2007 were to be presented, and a discussion on rising prices of essential items, particularly packaged milk, was also on the agenda.
More to follow…..
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