The Pakistani government has made a move to nullify the recent Supreme Court judgment granting the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party reserved seats for women and minorities in the National Assembly. A treasury lawmaker, Bilal Azhar Kayani of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), tabled the Elections (Second Amendment) Act, 2024, in the National Assembly session.
The bill aims to bar independent candidates from joining a political party at a subsequent stage after the period specified in the Constitution and the law. This move is seen as an attempt to prevent PTI from becoming the single largest party in the National Assembly, which would deprive the ruling coalition of its two-thirds majority.
The bill seeks to amend Sections 66 and 104 of the ECP Act, 2017, and insert a new section 104-A, making it impossible for independent candidates to join a political party at a later stage. This would effectively negate the Supreme Court’s judgment and prevent PTI from gaining the reserved seats.
The government’s move has been met with criticism from opposition parties, who see it as an attempt to undermine the judiciary’s decision. The bill has been referred to the standing committee concerned, and the committee chairman has been directed to convene a meeting the following day.
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