Controversial Electoral Reforms Act challenged in LHC

LAHORE: Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) has challenged the Electoral Reforms Act 2017 in Lahore High Court (LHC) under which a disqualified person can hold a party’s office.

Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Muttahida Qaumi Movement had challenged the legislation in Sindh High Court.

Ishtiaq Chaudhry of PAT in his petition filed in LHC said that under the newly passed election reforms law an ineligible person can hold reins of a political party. This act could facilitate an outlaw or mafia to hold political reins of the country, the plea said.

The petitioner contended that no legislation violating the spirit of the constitution and Islam could be passed from the parliament.

The petitioner has pleaded to the court to declare the Electoral Reforms Act 2017 against the spirit of the constitution and cancel the controversial piece of legislation accordingly.

A controversial clause of the electoral reforms law, allows an individual disqualified to be member of the parliament to hold office of a political party. Thus, the law has paved the way for Mian Nawaz Sharif to regain the reins of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

On Sept 22, the Senate had passed the Election Bill 2017 with a majority vote, doing away with a clause which barred a person from serving as an office-bearer of a political party if he is either not qualified to be, or disqualified from being elected as a member of a parliament under Article 63 of the Constitution.