NA passes three bill including Elections Bill, 2017 and Access to information bill, 2017; introduced three more

Sat, December 02, 2017

ISLAMABAD: The Lower House of the Parliament on Monday passed three bills including the Elections Bill, 2017, through voice voting and rejected the amendments moved by the Opposition.

Minister for Law and Justice tabled the Elections Bill, 2017, in the House as passed by the Senate with amendments following which the House passed the bill. It has been passed by both Houses of the Parliament and would become an Act after the signature of the President.

The Bill consolidates eight election laws which shall stand repealed after its enactment. The Bill contains numerous electoral reforms including strengthening of Election Commission of Pakistan by making it fully independent and autonomous, authorizing ECP to prepare Action Plan six months before the elections, delimit constituencies after every census, enrolling citizens automatically as voters who obtains CNIC from NADRA and etc.

Later, the Minister for Law and Justice moved the right of Access to information bill, 2017 which was passed by the House. The bill was aimed to provide the right to information in transparent and effective manner, subject only to reasonable restrictions imposed by law.

The House also passed the Auditor General’s (Functions, Powers and Terms and Conditions of Service) (Amendment) Bill, 2017 while it witnessed introduction of three bills including the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill, 2017, the Evening Courts Bill, 2017 and the General Statistics (Reorganization) (Amendment) Bill, 2017. All introduced bills were referred to the relevant standing committees.

The House did not hold the Question Hour and deferred the Calling Attention Notices appearing on the Orders of the Day as well. Later, the Chair adjourned the House to meet again on 1700 hours on Tuesday.

Published on October 2nd, 2017

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