PTI turns to SC against Election Amendment Act, 2022

Author: Web Desk

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Monday filed a lawsuit against the Supreme Court (SC) to challenge the Election Amendment Act, 2022.

In its petition, the party asked the court to declare the Act unconstitutional and thus null and void; order appropriate measures to grant the right to vote to overseas Pakistanis because denying them the right was a violation of basic human rights; and order the federal government, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), and the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) to implement the system of electronic voting.

The party added that it was unlawful to replace the Election Amendment Act, of 2021 with a different law since it already existed.

On June 20, 2022, President Arif Alvi returned the Elections (Amendment) EVM/OP Bill, 2022 unsigned white citing the reason that ‘Bill is anti-progress and regressive’.

In this regard, he referred to Article 75 (2) of the Constitution of Pakistan which said “When the President has returned a Bill to the Majlis-e Shoora (Parliament), it shall be reconsidered by the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) in joint sitting and, if it is again passed, with or without amendment, by the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament), by the votes of the majority of the members of both Houses present and voting, it shall be deemed for the purposes of the Constitution to have been passed by both Houses and shall be presented to the President, and the President shall give his assent within ten days, failing which such assent shall be deemed to have been given.”