The Joint Sitting of Parliament on Thursday approved “The Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2022” to conduct pilot projects in bye-elections before using I-Voting and Electronic Voting Machines in general elections.

It is pertinent to mention that earlier, the bill was passed by both Houses of Parliament in last month and sent to President Dr Arif Ali for his assent to make it law.

But, the President returned the bill to the government, observing that the amendments were passed by parliament in haste and without due diligence.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Javed Abbasi rejected President’s observations and objections by terming them as baseless.

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said legislation is sole prerogative of parliament and President cannot dictate the legislature.

Joint Session of Parliament also passed “The National Accountability Bureau (Amendment), Bill, 2022” aimed at preventing misuse of law for political engineering and victimization of opponents.  

The bill was earlier passed by Senate and National Assembly and was sent to President Dr Arif Alvi for his assent to make it law but he returned the bill to parliament, along with his observations and objections for consideration.

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, while tabling the bill, rejected the observations and objections, except that the NAB chairman may declare any place as sub-jail.

The bill proposed that NAB ordinance will not be applicable to all matters pertaining to federal, provincial or local taxations, decisions of the federal or provincial cabinet and constitutional bodies, as well as procedural lapses in performance of any public or government work.

It states that Chairman and Deputy Chairman NAB will be appointed by Federal Government.

The Chairman will be appointed by Federal Government after consultation between the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly.

The Joint Session of both the Houses of the parliament offered fateha for the departed soul of Aamir Liaquat Hussain.

Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali led the fateha.

Later, the Speaker adjourned the joint sitting of Parliament till July 20 at 4:00 pm.