LHC issues written verdict of Election Amendment Act, summons attorney general
Pakistan
The petitioner requests court to declare the amendment null and void
LAHORE (Dunya News) - The Lahore High Court (LHC) has issued the written verdict of the Election Amendment Act.
LHC’s Justice Shakeel Ahmad heard the case filed by Advocate Azhar Siddque and issued the two-page written verdict of Election Amendment Act case.
According to written judgement, notices to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the federal government and all political parties had been sent.
The court summoned the Attorney general for assistance on August 30.
Justice Ahmad stated that the applicant has informed the court that the Supreme Court has issued the verdict on reserved seats.
The petitioner contended that Parliament couldn’t nullify the member bench decision by amendment in the act and requested to declare the amendment null and void.
PETITIONS AGAINST ACT
Citizen Muneer Ahmad through Azhar Siddique filed an application in the LHC against the Election Amendment Act 2024 on August 12.
The petitioner contended in the application that the act aimed to annul the Supreme Court’s reserved seats judgement as the act couldn’t be applicable from the past.
The applicant requested the court to declare the Election Amendment Act 2024 unconstitutional.
Petitioner pleaded with the court to halt provision of reserved seats to other parties except PTI until the final judgement on the application.
On August 9, citizen Mashkoor Hussain filed the petition through Nadeem Sarwar against the Election Amendment Act, making the Election Commission, president and PM respondents.
Petitioner contended that four amendments were made in the Election Act to the Supreme Court reserved seats verdict.
The amendment act was passed without approval of the relevant committee and consultation.
It is pertinent to note that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has also challenged the petition in the Supreme Court on August 7, labelled it violation of constitution and law and aimed to thwart PTI.
ELECTION AMENDMENT ACT
President Asif Ali Zardari on August 7 signed the 'controversial' Election Act Amendment Bill 2024 which became a law.
The Senate passed the Election Act Amendment Bill by a majority vote despite protest by the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Aug 6.
Also read: Election Act Amendment Bill 2024 gets presidential assent amid legal wrangling
As the session started with Yousuf Raza Gilani in the chair, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Talal Chaudhry presented the Election Act Amendment Bill. The opposition members stood on their seats and started to protest.
The amendment provides that “a candidate who does not submit the party certificate before obtaining the election symbol will be considered an independent candidate.
If the list of candidates for reserved seats is not submitted within the specified period, no political party will be entitled to those seats.”
It also provides that any candidate's declaration of affiliation to a political party will be irrevocable.
SC RESERVED SEATS VERDICT
Last month, a 13-member full court bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa delivered a verdict on the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) petition related to reserved seats.
Justices Aminuddin Khan and Naeem Afghan had dissented from the majority decision.
The Supreme Court had annulled the decisions of the Peshawar High Court and the Election Commission, ordering that the reserved seats be allocated to the PTI.
Read more: Reserved seats granted to party having no representation in Parliament, says Atta Tarar
