Parliamentary parties to restore nomination papers in original form

ISLAMABAD: Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq announced on Monday that all the parliamentary parties will vote for an amendment in the National Assembly to restore electoral nomination papers in original form tomorrow.

Speaking at a press conference along with the parliamentary party leaders, Sadiq said that an amendment to Election Reform Act 2017 will be tabled in the assembly tomorrow. The speaker said: “It is a clerical error. There is no big deal to make a correction on any wrong, the nomination paper will be restored in its original form.”

The press conference was held after a meeting of the parliamentary leaders with Sadiq on the issue.

Speaking on the occasion, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that the National Assembly’s rules of procedure will be relaxed tomorrow to bring an amendment in the House.

“It is a very sensitive issue. People of Pakistan are very anxious on the development and it should be resolved as soon as possible.”

“We have also recommended the government to review clause 203 as well,” Qureshi added.

Representing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in the press conference, Law Minister Zahid Hamid also confirmed the press that the oath will be restored to its original form.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam(Fazl) leader Akram Durrani said that the government assured his party that not a single change will be made in the nomination paper.

“I said it in the assembly that this is a very sensitive issue which should not be delayed.”

Earlier, as the assembly passed the amended elections bill 2017 to pave the way for ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif to become the president of his political party once more, reports had surfaced that the government had inadvertently replaced "I take an oath" with "I believe" on the oath taken by parliamentarians.