After NA, Senate passes bill prohibiting independent candidates from joining parties

After the National Assembly (NA), the Senate also passed the Elections (Second Amendment) Bill, 2024 on Tuesday, which restricts independent candidates from joining another political party after a constitutionally and legally defined period (of three days), Aaj News reported.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Talal Chaudhry presented the bill in the upper house amid strong opposition from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senators.

Earlier during the day, the bill had sailed through the lower house after PML-N lawmaker Bilal Azhar Kayani moved the bill that restricts independent candidates from joining another political party.

According to Clause 2(b) of the bill, “Provided that if a candidate, before seeking allotment of a prescribed symbol, has not filed a declaration before the Returning Officer about his affiliation with a particular political party by submitting party certificate from the political party confirming that he is that party’s candidate, he shall be deemed to be considered as an independent candidate and not a candidate of any political party: Provided further that an independent candidate shall not be considered as the candidate of any political party if at later stage he files a statement duly signed and notarized stating that he contested the general election as a candidate of the political party specified therein.”

Bill prohibiting independent candidates from joining parties tabled in NA

Last week, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs approved the bill with a majority.

The passage of the bill comes after the Supreme Court on July 12 declared the PTI eligible to receive reserved seats for women and non-Muslims in the national and provincial assemblies.

The SC also declared the PTI a parliamentary party.

Addressing the NA session today, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said that legislation is the prerogative of the parliament, adding that the bill is in accordance with the spirit of the constitution.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar said that only the SC has the authority to interpret the law and the Constitution.

He termed the bill as contrary to the law and Constitution.

Meanwhile, speaking to the media outside the Parliament, Kiyani said a party that did not submit its list of candidates for reserved seats within the specified period would not be eligible for reserved seats after the elections.

“No one can point out anything in the bill that was practically wrong or in conflict with the Constitution and the law,” he said.

Moreover, four bills were laid before the house today, as per Radio Pakistan.

These included: The Acid and Burn Crime Bill, the National Commission on the Rights of Child Amendment Bill, the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill and the Ravi Institute Sahiwal Bill.

The chair referred the bills to the standing committees concerned.