Senate approves bill allowing ECP to announce election dates

• ECP to announce election date, make alterations to polls programme. 
• Election commissioner had asked parliament to pass legislation. 
• Disqualification period of lawmaker not to exceed five years.

The Senate on Friday approved a bill seeking amendments to the Election Act 2017 that would give the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) the authority to announce a date for the general election. 

In April, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja asked parliament to pass legislation by writing separate letters he sent to National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani.

The bill was tabled by State Minister Shahadat Awan in the upper house of parliament which would allow the ECP to announce an election date and make alterations to the election programme. 

The amendment to the bill was opposed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI). Leader of the Opposition Shahzad Waseem said that parliament was being bulldozed, adding that allowing the ECP to choose a date for polls would be a "violation of the Constitution". 

Section 57-1 stated that the ECP would be authorised to announce the date for the general elections. 

Section 58 said: "The Commission may, at any time after the issue of the notification under sub-section (1) of that section [57-1], make such alterations in the Election Programme announced in that notification for the different stages of the election or may issue a fresh Election Programme as may, in its opinion to be recorded in writing, be necessary for the purposes of this Act." 

Disqualification period

The bill presented also included an amendment to Section 232 (Qualifications and Disqualifications) of the Election Act, 2017. The amendment, which was approved by the Senate, proposed that the disqualification period of a person will not exceed five years if the duration is not determined in the judgment.

Senator Hafiz Abdul Kareem presented the bill which said that anyone convicted under a judgment, order or decree of the Supreme Court, high court or any court would be disqualified for five years starting from the date of the judgment. 

Senator Dilawar Khan said that three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif became a victim of this law. 

According to Article 62, Clause 1F, anyone would not be disqualified for over five years and that person should be eligible to become a member of parliament or provincial assembly.