Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry announces Senate representation for seven political parties as consultations continue over the proposed electoral reforms committee.
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK: Pakistan’s ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), coalition partner Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will each receive two Senate seats on the proposed Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms, Federal Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry announced on Thursday.
According to the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, four other political parties will also receive representation, with one seat allocated to each under the proposed Senate seat distribution.
In a statement shared on social media, Chaudhry said the Awami National Party (ANP), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), National Party and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) would each receive one seat.
The announcement outlines the distribution of all 10 Senate seats on the proposed committee.
Ishaq Dar to Finalise Committee Members
Chaudhry said Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the House in the Senate Ishaq Dar would make the final decision regarding the committee’s membership.
The nominations will be finalised after consultations with opposition parties, government coalition partners and relevant parliamentary leadership.
The announcement does not mean that all committee members have been formally notified. The final names remain subject to consultations.
PTI Previously Raised Concerns Over Representation
The development comes amid discussions between the government and opposition over the proposed electoral reforms committee.
Earlier, the government approached PTI’s National Assembly chief whip, Aamir Dogar, seeking nominations for opposition representation.
Dogar expressed reservations about the proposed committee’s composition and demanded equal representation for the government and opposition.
He also questioned the possibility of meaningful parliamentary cooperation under the prevailing political circumstances.
PTI interim chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, meanwhile, said the opposition would not oppose the committee if the dialogue was conducted sincerely, according to earlier reporting.
Government Seeks Cross-Party Participation
The government has also approached coalition partners, including the PPP and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), seeking nominations for the proposed committee.
The PPP has previously engaged opposition leaders, including National Assembly Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Senate Opposition Leader Raja Nasir Abbas, to encourage participation in parliamentary discussions on electoral reforms.
The proposed committee is intended to provide a parliamentary platform for discussing changes to Pakistan’s electoral framework.
Its formation comes amid wider discussions about electoral transparency, parliamentary cooperation and the appointment of a new chief election commissioner.
The committee’s final membership and subsequent proceedings will become clearer after consultations are completed.
