ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly approved the Elections Act Amendment on Tuesday, despite strong opposition resistance. The opposition has called the legislation “unconstitutional.”
The bill, proposed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Bilal Azhar Kiyani last month, received approval from the NA Parliamentary Affairs Committee. Eight members supported it, four opposed it, and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) MNA Shahid Akhtar abstained.
Once the Senate and the president approve the Elections Act Amendment, it will prevent independent candidates from changing their party affiliation later. This new law might affect the PTI’s return to parliament after the Supreme Court’s July 12 ruling declared the party eligible for reserved seats.
Since the ruling, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has notified 93 lawmakers from three provincial legislatures as PTI members. The ECP has declared 29 members from Punjab, 58 from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and six from Sindh as PTI members.
Meanwhile, 39 lawmakers in the National Assembly who showed PTI affiliation in their nomination papers have also been declared PTI members by the ECP.
The Elections Act Amendment aims to bring more stability to party affiliations in Pakistan’s political landscape. However, its passage has sparked a heated debate over its constitutionality and impact on political dynamics.
