Lawmakers will pass electoral reforms and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) amendments bills, in a joint session of the National Assembly and Senate on Thursday (today), according to the 12-point agenda issued by the Lower House of the parliament.

The session has been summoned at 4pm.

President Dr Arif Alvi had previously refused to sign the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2022 and the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Bill 2021, even though both the houses had passed them. Article 46 of the Constitution had been violated, he claimed, as he was not informed about the legislative proposal before the bill was brought to the parliament.

The bills do not need approval by the president, once they are passed in the joint session of the parliament.

The bill will reverse the PTI-led government’s amendments to the electoral reforms bill - passed in November last year - that permitted the use of electronic voting machines (EVM) in the next general election and granted overseas Pakistanis the right to vote. The NAB bill will curtail the powers of the anti-corruption watchdog.

The lawmakers will also pass the following bills in the joint session:

• The National Information Technology Board Bill, 2022 (establishment of National Information Technology board)
• The Pak University of Engineering and Emerging Technology University Bill, 2022 (establishment of the Pak University of Engineering and Technologies)
• The Protection of Parents Bill, 2022 (a bill that provides protection to parents)

The lawmakers will also discuss the economic situation, global economic and the security environment.

Ahead of the joint session of the parliament, the National Assembly and Senate will have separate sittings of the lawmakers at 11am and 10:30am respectively.