President Alvi sends back election bill without signing

ISLAMABAD: President Arif Alvi has sent back the election amendment bill without signing on the legislation, ARY News reported on Sunday.

“I have an affiliation with the issues of electronic voting machines and the overseas voting,” the President said. “I have followed these issues in governments, the Parliament and the Supreme Court,” Alvi further said.

“I know the constitution will enact the bill into a law despite my not signing on it. As President it is painful for me personally over not to sign on it,” President commented.

“I want to register my arguments and views for the coming generations. The nature of proposed laws is conservative,” he said.

It is to be mentioned here that the president had earlier also refused to sign the bills seeking amendments in the NAB and election laws, and returned them back to the Parliament.

The National Assembly had passed bills to abolish the PTI government’s election reforms giving overseas Pakistanis the right to vote through i-Voting and electronic voting machines (EVMs), as well as the NAB laws.

After the president’s refusal to sign the bills, the joint session of the Parliament had passed the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Bill 2021 and Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2022.

After the joint sitting’s approval, the bills were sent once again to the President for approval. The bills passed from the joint sitting of the Parliament could turn into law within 10 days despite not being signed by the President. It will be considered that his assent has been given under Article 75(2) of the Constitution.