On Tuesday, the bill was tabled by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Bilal Azhar Kiyani proposing amendments to the Section 66 and Section 104 of the Election Act, 2017.

The NA committee passed the bill with the support of eight members while four members opposed it. However, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) MNA Shahid Akhtar abstained from voting.

The bill proposed that the individuals who contested general election as independent candidate cannot change their affidavit at a later stage to declare affiliation with any political party.

Also read: IHC orders CDA to de-seal PTI’s Islamabad office immediately

Section 66 reads: “A contesting candidate, before seeking allotment of a prescribed symbol, shall file a declaration before the Returning Officer about his affiliation with a particular political party, if any, along with a certificate from the political party showing that he is that party‘s candidate from the constituency.”

The bill reads: "Provided further that an independent candidate shall no, be considered as the candidate of any political party if at later stage he files a statement duly signed and notarised stating that he contested the general elections as a candidate of the political party specified therein.”

It also proposed that political parties who failed to submit list of the reserved seats within the stipulated time to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will not be eligible for the reserved seats.

Also read: NAB Reports Bushra Bibi Involved in Four Legal Cases

Section 104 says: Party lists for reserved seats.—(1) For the purpose of election to seats reserved for women and non-Muslims in an Assembly, the political parties contesting election for such seats shall, within the period fixed by the Commission for submission of nomination papers, file separate lists of their candidates in order of priority for seats reserved for women and non-Muslims with the Commission or, as it may direct, with the Provincial Election Commissioner or other authorized officer of the Commission, who shall forthwith cause such lists to be published for information of the public:”

The bill read: “Provided further that if any political party fails to submit its list for reserved seats within the aforesaid prescribed time period, it shall not be eligible for the quota in the reserved seats at later stage," the bill stated.

“Provided that if a candidate, before seeking allotment of a prescribed symbol, has not filed a declaration before the returning officer about his affiliation with a particular political party by submitting party certificate from the political party confirming that he is that party’s candidate, he shall be deemed to be considered as an independent candidate and not a candidate of any political party," the bill read.

It further read: "This Act shall come into force at once and shall be deemed to have taken effect on and from the commencement of the Elections Act, 2017.”