Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has challenged the Election Amendment Act in the Supreme Court on Wednesday. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan filed a constitutional petition in the Supreme Court and prayed to the apex court to annul the Election Amendment Act. An Article 184-3 application was filed through the mediation of Salman Akram Raja. The Federation and the Election Commission have been made parties in the petition. On Tuesday, the National Assembly passed the Elections Act (Amendment Bill) 2024 by a majority vote. According to details, under the decision of the Supreme Court regarding reserved seats, the government has been able to carry out important legislation. The bill for further amendment to the Elections Act 2017 has been approved by the National Assembly by a majority vote.

The bill was presented jointly by the PML-N's Bilal Azhar Kayani and Zaib Jaffar. According to the amendment bill, a candidate who does not submit his party affiliation certificate before obtaining the election symbol will be considered independent. If the list of candidates for reserved seats is not submitted within the prescribed period, no political party shall be entitled to the reserved seats. Any candidate's declaration of affiliation to a political party once in the prescribed period shall be irrevocable, the bill states. Federal Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar said that legislation is the right of the House, claiming that this legislation is by the Constitution. He said affidavits of affiliation with the Sunni Ittehad Council had been submitted, therefore a party not participating in the elections cannot be given reserved seats.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan