ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Sunday amended a law limiting the disqualification of a member of parliament to a maximum of five years, paving the way for those with lifetime bans to run for public office.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) supremo Nawaz Sharif and IPP chief Jahangir Khan Tareen will be among the beneficiaries of this move.
The Supreme Court had disqualified the two senior politicians in June and December 2017 respectively after they were found “dishonest” under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution.
Election Amendment Bill 2023 adopted and Passed by National Assembly#NASession #Budget2023 pic.twitter.com/zwy4KpudVi
— National Assembly 🇵🇰 (@NAofPakistan) June 25, 2023
Senate – The Upper House of Parliament earlier this month passed the Bill to amend Section 232 (Eligibility and Disqualification) of the Elections Act, 2017.
“Notwithstanding anything contained in any other provision of this Act, any other law for the time being in force and judgments, orders or decrees of any court including the Supreme Court and the High Court, the disqualification of a person to be elected , or under paragraph (1) of clause (1) of Article 62 of the Constitution 9 to remain as a member of the Majlis Shura (Parliament) of the Provincial Assembly for a period not exceeding five years from the declaration. In a court of law and such declaration shall be subject to due process of law,” the bill reads.
With Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed President Arif Alvi out of the country for Hajj, Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani has taken over as Acting President and is likely to approve the bill soon.
The House also approved another amendment to the law, allowing the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to unilaterally announce election dates without the President’s approval.
Amending Section 58 of the Elections Act, the Bill reads, “…the Commission shall, by notification in the Official Gazette, announce the date or dates of general elections, as the case may be”.
The bill also allows the Election Commission to make changes to the election program after announcing the date, but it will have to do so “in writing”.
According to JEE News, the ruling coalition had earlier made two attempts to end the lifetime disqualification of parliamentarians.
But both measures — the Supreme Court Review of Judgments and Orders Bill 2023 and the law to limit the powers of the Chief Justice — were challenged in the Supreme Court.
However, according to the publication, it is yet to be seen how the Supreme Court will react to the existing law amending the Election Act to limit the period of disqualification.
“Parliament is supreme and has the right to legislate and remove any ambiguity in any law or act. It had to happen and it should have happened long ago,” people in the ruling coalition told JEE News. People involved in the ruling coalition told JEE News
