Islamabad (Web Desk): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Monday challenged the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2022 in the Supreme Court (SC) seeking the court's intervention to reverse the amendments made to the election laws.
The bill, approved by the joint session of the parliament on June 9, deprives the overseas Pakistanis of the right to vote and use of electronic voting machines (EVMs).
The former premier, in his petition through Advocate Uzair Karamat Bhandari, made the federal government, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), and National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) parties in the case.
The prayed that the apex court should declare the amendment unconstitutional, ultra vires and void ab initio, and to strike it down.
It emphasised that Section 94(1) of the Elections Act 2021 remains the “existing law” and that all institutions, “especially the ECP [Election Commission of Pakistan] and NADRA [National Database and Registration Authority], are bound to act in accordance with it.”
“In particular… direct the ECP to grant the necessary approvals and funds to NADRA for developing the new I-Voting System as detailed in the NADRA proposal within a strict timeframe,” read the petition.
The petition also requested the SC to grant a continuing mandamus and supervise the process of putting in place a system for ensuring that overseas Pakistanis are permitted to vote. It further reiterated that the apex court must act timely so that overseas Pakistanis are able to vote in the upcoming elections.
On June 25, Imran Khan had approached the SC against the amendments to National Accountability Ordinance by the incumbent coalition government.
In his petition, the former premier named the Federation of Pakistan through its secretary Law and Justice Division and the NAB through its chairman as respondents in the case.
The PTI chief had earlier declared his intention to challenge the amendments in the apex court and had said they were tantamount to “legitimising” corruption.
