President Zardari signs election amendment bill banning party-switching by independents

Bill was earlier passed by a majority vote in both the National Assembly and the Senate making it part o fElection Act

President Asif Ali Zardari has signed the Election Act Amendment Bill 2024, which prohibits independent lawmakers from switching parties.

The bill was passed by a majority vote in both the National Assembly and the Senate, officially making it part of the Election Act.

Sources indicate that the gazette notification is anticipated to be issued today.

Read NA approves Election Act Amendment Bill amid opposition dissent

However, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) yesterday challenged the bill in the Supreme Court, naming the federal government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) as respondents, requesting it be declared null and void.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan submitted the petition to the top court under Article 184(3) that argues that the bill, which was approved by a majority vote despite strong protests and objections from opposition parties, is "unconstitutional and illegal".

"The instant petition seeks to challenge, therefore, subversion of the democratic process made by the Impugned Act and is, therefore, a petition that raises questions of immense public importance with reference to the enforcement of the fundamental rights, conferred by the Constitution, in particular the rights guaranteed by Article 17," read the petition.