Acting President Sadiq Sanjrani signs finance and election bills

Islamabad:  Acting President Sadiq Sanjrani on Monday approved Election Act bill, marking an important development in Pakistan's legislative landscape.

The bill brought a significant change by reducing the period of disqualification from a lifetime to five years. Following Sanjrani's assent, the bill has now become an official act of parliament.

Moreover, the bill transfered the authority of determining election dates to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Prior to this, Sanjrani had also granted approval to the Finance Bill 2023, which had been passed by the National Assembly a day earlier.

The annual budget for the fiscal year 2023-24, with a total outlay of Rs14.48 trillion, focuses on promoting economic stability, sustainable and inclusive growth, and addressing inflationary pressures.

Acting President Sanjrani assumed his responsibilities in the absence of President Dr. Arif Alvi, who is currently on a Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia along with his family.

According to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division, the Senate chairman took charge as the acting president in Quetta, as Sanjrani is currently in Balochistan's capital due to a personal bereavement involving his aunt.

As per the constitutional provisions, the chairman of the Senate assumes the role of acting president in the absence of the president, irrespective of the reason.

Sanjrani holds the distinction of being the youngest Senate chairman at the age of 39 and is the first individual from Balochistan to be elected to this prestigious position.

On June 16, the Senate passed a bill that introduced a fixed period of disqualification for parliamentarians under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution.

The bill stipulates that if the Constitution does not specify the punishment, the disqualification period should not exceed five years. It also allows the convicted individual to become a member of parliament after serving the complete punishment.

Besides it, another bill proposing an amendment to Section 232 of the Election Act, which pertains to the disqualification of lawmakers, was tabled in the Senate. This bill sought to align the eligibility criteria, disqualification process, and punishments with the provisions of Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution. It further proposed that individuals convicted by the Supreme Court and high courts will face a five-year disqualification from the date of the verdict.

Moreover, the Senate approved an amendment to Sections 57 and 58 of the Election Act, which withdraws the president's power to announce the election date.