Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Bilal Azhar Kiyani has tabled the Election Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024, in the National Assembly, proposing that the individuals who contested general election as independent candidate cannot change their affidavit at a later stage to declare affiliation with any political party.
"Provided further that an independent candidate shall no, be considered as the candidate of any political party if at later stage he files a statement duly signed and notarised stating that he contested the general elections as a candidate of the political party specified therein,” read the bill.
The amendment bill was tabled amid strong criticism from the opposition benches. The National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq sent the bill to the relevant standing committee in the House.
The bill also proposed that political parties who failed to submit list of the reserved seats within the stipulated time to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will not be eligible for the reserved seats.
"This Act shall come into force at once and shall be deemed to have taken effect on and from the commencement of the Elections Act, 2017," the bill read.