Reversible party affiliation and a law to modify elections are proposed

The National Assembly has introduced numerous major amendment proposals, which is a noteworthy advance in the legislative process. A significant reform to the Election Act of 2017 was among these, with the goal of bringing about significant modifications to the electoral process.

The bill, which seeks to change two provisions of the Election Act 2017 pertaining to reserved seats in the House, was introduced by government members Bilal Azhar Kiyani and Zaib Jaffar.

The draft bill suggested that an independent candidate’s decision to join a political party cannot be undone after they give their approval.

The measure also requires a party to submit its list of reserved seats within a specified timeframe. The party will lose those seats if they don’t comply.

Along with adding a new Section 104A, the proposed amendments also aim to modify Sections 66 and 104 of the Election Act, 2017.

The Speaker forwarded the bill to the Standing Committee for additional review after the presentation. The revisions will take effect right away if they are approved.

Apart from the amendment bill, the National Assembly also approved the National Institute of Excellence Bill 2024 and deliberated on multiple other amendment bills, one of which included adding Article 9A to the Constitution.

Opposition parties also staged protests and banner waving during the session in opposition to the suggested amendments. Nevertheless, the House held a moment of silence and recited Fatiha in honor of the nation’s fallen security officers as well as those who perished from lightning during recent storms.

All measures have been referred to their appropriate standing committees for additional examination as the National Assembly session has been adjourned till 11 a.m. on Friday.