Balochistan Assembly: Senate sub-panel approves bill to increase seats to 80

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary subcommittee has given its nod to a bill that aims to expand the Balochistan Provincial Assembly from its current 65 seats to 80.

The decision, reached on Monday, now awaits the approval of the main Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice.

Senator Anusha Rahman expressed reservations about the bill, seeking more clarity on the Election Commission’s stance and the possibility of allocating seats based on geographical area.

She emphasised the need for a comprehensive understanding of the implications before taking a definitive position.

Senator Hamid Khan, in a somewhat sarcastic tone, drew a contrast between the rapid approval of this bill and the prolonged debate surrounding the 26th Amendment.

His remark highlighted the differing levels of scrutiny applied to various legislative proposals.

The bill is now poised to undergo further deliberation within the Senate, with its ultimate fate uncertain.

The objectives of the sub-committee is to examine and report on the proposals contained in the Constitutional (Amendment) bill 2024 (Amendment of Article 106) introduced by Senator Manzoor Ahmed and Danesh Kumar in the Senate setting held on January 1, 2024 with specific consideration of the constitutional framework outlined in Article 51 and 106 as well as to examine previous legislative proposals on this subject and evaluate the outcomes of earlier consultative process.

Five-member Senate sub-committee on Law and Justice was convened by Zamir Hussain Ghumro on Monday.