The bill was approved despite strong opposition from various parties, who argued that it was unconstitutional and aimed at undermining the judiciary and obstructing political rights.
Key points of the bill include:
- Independent candidates cannot join political parties after a specified period post-election
- Candidates must submit an affidavit of party affiliation to the returning officer, or be considered independent
- Parties failing to submit lists of candidates for reserved seats within the stipulated time will be ineligible for those seats
- The amendment is retroactively effective from the Election Act 2017
The opposition has vowed to challenge the bill legally, arguing that it discriminates against certain political parties and is a targeted effort against the judiciary.
#ElectionActAmendmentBill #Pakistan #NationalAssembly #IndependentCandidates #PoliticalParties #ElectionReform #Judiciary #OppositionProtest
