ISLAMABAD: The government of Pakistan on Tuesday tabled the bill in the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament seeking more changes to the Election Act of 2017.
The bill, introduced by ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz lawmaker Bilal Azhar Kayani during a private legislation session, was referred to a committee following a recommendation by the law minister.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar emphasized the importance of referring the bill to the committee with a set timeframe, noting that all party members would be involved in the review. He also mentioned that the proposed changes touch upon constitutional interpretations, with debates around potentially revised constitutional articles.
The amendments primarily aim to tighten regulations regarding the modification of declarations submitted by candidates.
The Election Commission of Pakistan recently issued notifications for 39 members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, while notifications for 41 additional members are still pending as per the Supreme Court’s ruling.
The proposed bill seeks changes to Sections 66 and 104 of the Election Act. Section 66 requires candidates to file a declaration with the Returning Officer regarding their party affiliation and submit a certificate from their political party confirming their candidacy.
The proposed amendment suggests replacing the term “contesting” in this section with a new provision. According to the new text, if a candidate does not file the required declaration and party certificate before seeking a symbol, they will be considered an independent candidate.
Furthermore, if an independent candidate later files a notarized statement claiming affiliation with a political party, they will not be recognized as a party candidate.
Section 104 of the Election Act, which deals with party lists for reserved seats, will also be amended accordingly to reflect these changes.
