— Proposed amendment to law, which sets precondition for an MP to be sadiq and ameen, will benefit Sharif, Tareen
— House proposes granting ECP authority to independently announce election date
ISLAMABAD: In a long-awaited development, the National Assembly passed a bill on Sunday that seeks amendments to the Elections Act, 2017, aimed at granting increased powers to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The bill, moved by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, aims to empower the regulator to unilaterally announce poll dates, along with the authority to make modifications to the election programme as necessary.
Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervaiz Ashraf presented the bill for voting, and it was passed with a majority. The proposed amendments in Section 57(1) stipulate the commission shall announce the date or dates of the general elections through an official gazette notification and call upon the constituencies to elect their representatives.
This move aims to streamline the electoral process and provide the ECP with greater autonomy, the government said.
The amendments also include a proposed change to Section 58(1) which empowers the ECP to make alterations to the election programme after the initial notification has been issued.
The commission may modify the elections programme for different stages of the election or issue a fresh programme with new poll dates, if deemed necessary as per the Act.
Additionally, the bill approved by the National Assembly includes an amendment to Section 232 (Qualifications and Disqualifications) of the Election Act.
According to this amendment, lawmakers will face disqualification for a period of five years in cases where the Constitution does not specify the duration of the punishment. The disqualification will be imposed based on orders from the Supreme Court or high courts.
The proposed amendment to the law is expected to provide benefits to Nawaz Sharif, the supreme leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and Jahangir Tareen, a former minister.
Both individuals were disqualified by the Supreme Court in 2017 on grounds of being deemed “dishonest” under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution, which sets the precondition for an MP to be sadiq and ameen (honest and righteous).
PROPOSED PRIVILEGES TO EX-SENATORS OPPOSED
Meanwhile, Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif appealed to the House not to support the recently passed bill entitling the Senate chairman, the deputy, members and chairmen of the committees of the upper house of parliament a number of privileges as well as allowances, citing the nation’s inability to afford such incentives in the current economic situation.
Speaking in the National Assembly after the passage of the budget for the fiscal year 2023-24, the minister expressed his respect for senators and the Senate, as he himself began his political career in the Senate.
However, he emphasized that the people and business community were facing immense difficulties due to the ongoing financial crisis.
Pointing out that the salary of an MP stood at Rs168,000 per month, which was lower than that of a federal secretary, the minister argued that providing additional privileges under the prevailing financial circumstances was not feasible.
He commended Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and his entire finance team for presenting a balanced budget despite the critical situation, expressing hope for the beginning of a new era of economic stability.
Furthermore, the minister clarified the government was not bearing the expenses or providing any special facilities for National Assembly members to perform Hajj. He added that even ordinary people were part of the special flight arranged to transport pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.
