• President Zardari approves Election (Amendment) Bill 2024.
• Act empowers ECP to appoint high court judges to election tribunals.
• President signs bill under Article 75 of the Constitution.

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday approved the Election (Amendment) Bill 2024, which empowers the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to appoint retired judges of high courts to election tribunals. 

Under the amendment to the Elections Act, 2017, the ECP would not need consultation with the respective chief justices for the appointment of retired judges as election tribunals.

Through the Election Amendment Bill, the amendments were made in the Section 140 of the Election Act 2017.

After the amendment, the chief justice of the high court concerned will be consulted in case of appointment of a serving judge in a election tribunal, a press release issued by the President House said.

After the president’s approval under Article 75 of the Constitution, the election bill has become an act.

The Election (Amendment) Bill 2024 was passed by the National Assembly on June 28 and by the Senate on July 4, amid strong opposition from the  opposition legislators’

The Supreme Court had taken up an appeal by the election governing body in the ongoing row between the ECP and the LHC regarding the appointment of judges to the election tribunals regarding the February 8 polls.

On May 29, the LHC held that under Article 219(c) read with Article 222(b) of the Constitution, the LHC chief justice enjoyed primacy in the appointment of election tribunals under Section 140 of the Elections Act, 2017.

Later, the apex court suspended the LHC judgment and its notification regarding the appointment of eight election tribunals in Punjab for hearing election dispute cases, till the completion of consultation between the two sides.