Senate panel rejects changes to election act

ISLAMABAD:

The Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs on Monday unanimously rejected a proposed amendment to the Elections Act, 2017.

The meeting was held at Parliament House and chaired by Khalil Tahir.

The committee reviewed the amendment moved by Zarqa Suharwardi Taimur in the Senate on January 19, 2026.

During the meeting, Senator Zarqa called for increasing women's representation in politics. She said the current five per cent quota for women on general seats should be raised.

She added that women make up nearly half of the country's population and should have equal opportunities to contest elections, especially those who are not from political families.

She also proposed better facilities for persons with disabilities at polling stations, including ramps for easier access. The Secretary of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs informed the committee that election laws are amended from time to time.

He said the proposals had been reviewed with the Election Commission and the Ministry of Law, but their practical implementation needed careful review.

The Election Commission said surveys are conducted before elections to select polling stations with basic facilities such as electricity, boundary walls, water, washrooms and ramps.

It was suggested that such measures could be included in administrative guidelines instead of the law.

Kamran Murtaza stressed the need to implement existing laws properly and warned against adding rules that may be difficult to enforce.

Pervaiz Rashid agreed, saying many of these issues were already being addressed by the Election Commission.

He said election laws are sensitive and should be amended carefully to improve transparency without creating difficulties for political parties.

He also suggested that political parties should first discuss such proposals internally and present agreed recommendations.

Khalida Ateeb said many members of her party belong to middle-class backgrounds. She shared that she rose from being a school teacher to becoming a senator on merit.

After a detailed discussion, the committee rejected the proposed amendment unanimously.