Minister says electoral reforms panel to have 2 members each from PML-N, PPP and PTI

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry announced on Thursday that the proposed Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms (PCER) will have two members each from the PML-N, PPP, and PTI. In a post on X, Chaudhry confirmed that the Senate allocation of seats would grant the PML-N, PPP, and PTI two seats each.

The Awami National Party (ANP), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), National Party, and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) will each receive one seat. Chaudhry stated that the final decision on committee member names would be made by the Speaker of the House and Deputy Prime Minister after consultations with various stakeholders.

Earlier this week, the government invited its coalition partners, including the PPP and MQM-P, to join the PCER and submit nominations for their representatives. The PPP had submitted the names of its legislators, though they remain undisclosed. On Tuesday, Chaudhry formally approached the opposition to participate in the committee, but the opposition dismissed the committee as a "futile exercise" unless their demands were met.

Chaudhry had also reached out to PTI chief whip Aamir Dogar, requesting the submission of opposition lawmakers' names. However, Dogar expressed concerns about the committee's composition, demanding equal representation for the government and opposition. Last week, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari urged Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai to use the authority granted by jailed PTI founder Imran Khan to ensure opposition participation in parliamentary committees.