NA passes law tweaking election rules

Opposition decries move saying matter is sub-judice

ISLAMABAD:

Despite the opposition vehemently protesting the move, the National Assembly on Friday passed the ‘Election Act Amendment Bill, 2024’ by a majority vote.

During the session of the lower house of parliament, the chairman of the NA standing committee on law and justice presented the body’s report on the ‘Election Act Amendment Bill, 2024’ whereas Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar tabled it for its approval.

The law minister said the authority to form election tribunal vests with the ECP as per the Constitution.

He added that retired judges could also be appointed to the tribunals in addition to the serving ones to hear complaints in connection with polls.

He maintained that parliament was supreme and had the authority to formulate any type of legislation that it deemed necessary.

The minister explained that the amendment was required to decrease the workload on the serving judges.

He continued that the proposed amendment sought to restore the original provision of Section 140, enabling retired high court judges to be appointed to the tribunals.

Challenging the move, Leader of the Opposition Omar Ayub and MNA Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, who is also the PTI chairman, said the matter was being heard by courts.

They claimed that the PPP and PML-N had made a change to appoint serving judges to the tribunals during their meeting with the electoral amendment committee.

Later, the NA passed the bill despite the opposition’s protest and sloganeering against the move.

On June 20, the Supreme Court took up an appeal of the ECP against the Lahore High Court’s decision on the appointment of election tribunals.

However, the SC refused to suspend the LHC’s May 29 order, and sought the formation of a five-judge larger bench to settle the controversy over whether the ECP or the high court should appoint tribunals to decide electoral disputes.