In a notable development, the National Assembly has made significant progress on important legislation with the presentation of several key amendment bills. Among these, a notable amendment to the Election Act of 2017 was introduced, aiming to bring substantial changes to the electoral process.
Government members Bilal Azhar Kiyani and Zaib Jaffar presented the bill, which proposes amendments to two clauses of the Election Act 2017 concerning reserved seats in the House.
The draft bill proposed that once an independent candidate consents to join a political party, this decision cannot be reversed.
Additionally, the bill stipulates that a party must submit its list for reserved seats within a designated period. Failure to do so will result in the party being deprived of those seats.
The proposed changes also seek to amend Sections 66 and 104 of the Election Act, 2017, and introduce a new Section 104A.
Following the presentation, the Speaker referred the bill to the Standing Committee for further consideration. If approved, the amendments will come into effect immediately.
In addition to the amendment bill, the National Assembly passed the National Institute of Excellence Bill 2024 and discussed several other amendment bills, including a constitutional amendment to add Article 9A.
The session also saw opposition parties protesting and sloganeering against the proposed changes. Despite this, the House observed a moment of silence, reciting Fatiha for security personnel martyred in the country and those who died due to recent lightning during rains.
The National Assembly session has been adjourned until 11 am on Friday, with all bills entrusted to their respective standing committees for further consideration.
