The National Assembly passed the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2024, modifying the Elections Act of 2017.
Azam Nazeer Tarar, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, introduced the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which aims to resolve electoral disputes across various government levels.
The amendment reinstates Section 140, permitting retired high court judges to join election tribunals, a response to the significant caseloads of active judges. Despite extensive debates and strong opposition, the bill was ultimately passed.
Iradat Sharif, chairing the parliamentary committee, supported the bill after a thorough review. However, legal experts challenge the move, citing potential constitutional issues concerning the Election Commission’s powers.
Barrister Gohar voiced concerns about the amendment’s compatibility with recent Supreme Court rulings. Prime Minister Nazir Tarar and Law Minister Azam Tarar argued for Parliament’s legislative independence without judicial interference.
Opposition member Alia Kamran feared that appointing retired judges could compromise electoral fairness. Simultaneously, Umar Ayub criticized unrelated human rights abuses.
The session also approved substantial fiscal allocations totalling over Rs 1.358 trillion, reflecting the assembly’s ongoing focus amid political challenges.
 Bill, 2024, which seeks to appoint retired judges to election tribunals.){kind=link}