Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has filed a petition in the Supreme Court against recent amendments to the Election Act 2017. These changes, passed by both the National Assembly and the Senate on Tuesday, aim to address the Supreme Court’s July 12 ruling on reserved seats.
PTI Chairman Gohar Khan submitted the plea under Article 184(3) of the Constitution through his lawyer, Barrister Salman Akram Raja. The petition requests that the Supreme Court declare the Elections (Second Amendment) Bill, 2024, as “null and void.”
The bill, proposed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Bilal Azhar Kiyani last month, was quickly passed by the PML-N-led coalition despite strong opposition. PTI is concerned that once the bill is signed by the president, it will prevent independent candidates from changing their party affiliations after initially declaring them.
Last month, the Supreme Court ruled that PTI was eligible for reserved seats, leading to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) recognizing 93 PTI lawmakers from three provincial legislatures. Additionally, 39 National Assembly lawmakers who declared their PTI affiliation were also recognized by the ECP.
PTI Member of National Assembly (MNA) Ali Muhammad Khan criticized the government’s changes to the election law, claiming they attack the Supreme Court. Gohar Khan emphasized that while Parliament has supremacy, only the Supreme Court can interpret the law and the Constitution.
In the Senate, PTI’s Shibli Faraz argued that the bill was introduced in “bad faith” to prevent the Supreme Court’s verdict from being implemented.
On the other hand, Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar defended the legislation, stating it was drafted before the Supreme Court’s decision and aimed to provide clarity and improve the electoral process. He stressed that making laws is the sole right of Parliament, not the judiciary, and that there is a clear distinction between interpreting and rewriting the Constitution.
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