Senate passes NAB law amendment bill, Election Act amendment

The Senate passed on Friday The Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which seeks to scrap electronic voting in elections and restrain overseas Pakistanis from participating in elections, as well as The National Accountability (Second Amendment) Bill, 2022.

During a session chaired by Sadiq Sanjrani, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Murtaza Javed Abbasi moved both the bills. Later, the session was adjourned to meet again on Monday.

The National Assembly on Thursday had approved the Elections Amendment Bill 2022 where it had been presented by Abbasi.

NA okays Election Act amendment that seeks to scrap electronic voting

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the Pakistan Tehreeek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had made several amendments to the Election Act, 2017, including those that allowed the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and granted overseas Pakistanis the right to vote in general elections.

Meanwhile, the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Bill, 2022, with some amendments aimed at stopping the misuse of the law for political engineering and victimization of opponents, was also approved by the NA.

Tarar said that after the passage of the bill, the National Accountability Bureau must complete all inquiries within a period of six months.

He said that the PTI government had extended the tenure of incumbent NAB chairman by promulgating an ordinance and that various honest civil servants were put behind bars without any cogent evidence.

'Elections Amendment Bill 2022 to ensure fair elections'

Following the approval, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the approval of Elections Amendment Bill 2022 will ensure fair elections in Pakistan.

Elections Amendment Bill 2022 to ensure fair elections: PM Shehbaz

The PM also said that the present government would rescue the sinking economy, blaming PTI leadership for damaging it from 2018 to early 2022.