Rabbani opposes promulgation of Election Act 2024, NAB Ordinance 2024

ISLAMABAD: Senior leader of the Pakistan people’s Party (PPP) and former Senate chairman Mian Raza Rabbani raised his voice against the promulgation of the ‘Elections Act (Amendment) Ordinance, 2024 and The NAB (Amendment) Ordinance, 2024’ while opposing these ordinance, saying that ordinance have been promulgated in haste and there are no reasons cited by the acting president while approving the same.

“The promulgation of the Ordinances by the federal government is condemned,” he said in a statement on Wednesday. Rabbani said the amended NAB Ordinance, extended the remand period of an accused from 14 to 40 days which is not reasonable. “Further, the quantum of sentence has been reduced to two years from five, for the officers convicted of framing cases based on ill-will, is illogical,” he said.

The senior PPP Leader said the amended Elections Act Ordinance, enables retired judges to be members of the Election Tribunals, which is a blatant blow to the independence of judiciary.

Rabbani was of the view that the Ordinances, have been passed in contravention of Article 89, Constitution, 1973, as no such circumstances exist, which render it necessary to promulgate the said Ordinances.

Furthermore, he said there is a functional National Assembly of Pakistan and a Senate of Pakistan in existence that have been in session, upto last week, however, no bill was tabled therein. “Such by-passing of Parliament, will weaken the already weak parliamentary system,” he said.