Islamabad (Web Desk): The National Assembly (NA) on Wednesday passed the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2025, that allows lawmakers in both houses of the Parliament to keep information about their assets private for up to a year, citing concerns for personal safety.
The legislation, presented by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MNA Shazia Marri, amends key sections of the Elections Act of 2017.
It permits lawmakers to request that details of their own or their family’s property remain undisclosed if there is a credible threat to their security. Once such a request is granted by the speaker of the National Assembly or the chairman of the Senate, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is required to maintain the confidentiality of the information for a period of one year.
In addition to the asset confidentiality provision, the bill transfers certain powers under election laws from the Supreme Court to the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC).
The FCC will now have primary authority over appeals, interpretation of law, and resolving electoral disputes.
As part of the amendments, the term “Supreme” has been replaced with “Federal Constitutional Court” in Section 155 of the Elections Act, with related changes to Sections 202, 212, and 232, formally incorporating the FCC into these provisions.
The legislation clarifies the FCC’s role in different legal settings, aiming to balance transparency with protection of fundamental rights.
The bill, however, drew criticism from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, who argued that routine election matters are being unnecessarily shifted from the Supreme Court to the FCC.
“If the Election Commission orders a re-poll at 20 polling stations, this matter would now be taken to the Constitutional Court,” he said, suggesting that such cases do not require constitutional interpretation.
Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarrar defended the changes, pointing out that many Election Commission cases have already been heard by the FCC.
He noted that issues such as banning a political party are inherently constitutional and therefore should fall under the FCC’s jurisdiction.
Matters relating to floor-crossing would also be addressed by the FCC, he added, emphasizing that it is impractical for some election appeals to go to the Supreme Court SC while others are handled in a different forum.
After passing the National Assembly, the bill will now move to the Senate for consideration.