ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) leader Latif Khosa vowed that the party would not allow the Election Act Amend Bill 2024, to pass in the National Assembly’s standing committee stage.
A day earlier, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq had sent the Election Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024 — a move termed by Khosa as “mal-intent” — tabled by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Bilal Azhar Kiyani to the relevant House Committee.
The proposed amendment to Sections 66 and 104 of the Election Act seeks to prohibit individuals who contested general election as independent candidates from changing their affidavit at a later stage to declare affiliation with any political party.
The suggested legislation drew a strong reaction from the PTI with its Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan who has said that the said bill is being bulldozed through the lower house in an “unconstitutional manner”.
Claiming that the former ruling party secured 50% of the total votes, in the February 8 polls, the PTI chairman said that despite the submission of affidavits by their 41 MNAs, their lawmakers are being targeted.
He also expressed hope that the Supreme Court will ensure the implementation of its July 12 verdict which had declared the PTI eligible for reserved seats.
