- PTI leader Latif Khosa opposes new amendments to the Election Act proposed by the government.
- The amendments aim to restrict changes in party affiliation and eligibility for reserved seats.
- Khosa argues that the changes are intended to undermine PTI’s position and disrupt its future electoral prospects.
Latif Khosa, a prominent leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has declared his party’s strong opposition to the recent amendments proposed to the Election Act. Khosa’s remarks follow the National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq’s decision to refer the Election Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024, to a House Committee. PTI views this bill as an underhanded tactic by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to disadvantage their party.
The proposed amendments focus on Sections 66 and 104 of the Election Act, which would bar independent candidates from changing their party affiliation after the election and impose stricter rules on the submission of reserved seats lists. According to the amendments, any political party failing to meet these requirements would forfeit eligibility for reserved seats, with candidates being classified as independents if they don’t declare their party affiliation in time.
PTI’s Chairman, Barrister Gohar Khan, has criticized the bill, accusing the government of pushing it through the National Assembly in an unconstitutional manner. He highlighted that PTI, which received significant votes in the February 8 elections, is being unfairly targeted despite having submitted affidavits from their lawmakers. Khan expressed confidence that the Supreme Court will uphold its July 12 decision, which recognized PTI’s eligibility for reserved seats.
Since the court’s order, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has recognized 93 PTI lawmakers from provincial legislatures. These legislators had run as independents but confirmed their PTI affiliation to the ECP before the elections. The government’s proposed amendments appear to be aimed at preventing PTI from emerging as the largest party in the National Assembly, potentially threatening the ruling coalition’s dominance. Both the PML-N and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have already filed a review petition challenging the court’s ruling on reserved seats.
