President Zardari approves Elections Amendment Bill

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday approved ‘The Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2024 passed by the parliament, ARY News reported.

The Election Amendment Bill 2024 aims to amend Section 140 of the Election Act 2017. According to the bill, the election tribunal will consist of a serving judge, to be appointed in consultation with the Chief Justice of the respective high court.

According to the details, President Zardari gave assent to the bill passed by the National Assembly on June 28 and by the Senate of Pakistan on July 4.

After the president’s approval, the bill has now become an Act, paving the way for its implementation.  President Zardari has given the assent under Article 75 of the Constitution.

The National Assembly on June 28 passed an amendment to the Elections Act, 2017 ‘The Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2024

The bill was moved by Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Azam Nazeer Tarar.

Briefing the lawmakers, he said the amendment was aimed at expediting the settlement of petitions pertaining to elections of the National Assembly, the Senate, provincial assemblies, and local governments.

He explained that due to the workload on serving judges, the proposed amendment seeks to restore the original provision of Section 140, making retired high court judges eligible for appointment as members of election tribunals.

In a heated session at the National Assembly, the Election Act Amendment Bill 2024 has been approved despite staunch opposition.