Islamabad, October 30,2026: Opposition leaders have indicated their willingness to join a proposed parliamentary committee on electoral reforms following an invitation from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), with a formal response expected after consultations with their leadership in the coming days.
A PPP delegation met opposition leaders on the instructions of party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and invited them to become part of the proposed committee, PPP Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman said.
The PPP has proposed that the government and opposition jointly formulate recommendations to ensure transparent, free and fair elections.
Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan chief and National Assembly Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai, along with the alliance’s vice chairman and Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, sought time to consult the PTI leadership before giving a formal response, according to sources.
Raja Nasir, however, reportedly agreed with the proposal to make the electoral process more transparent, while Sherry Rehman expressed hope that the opposition would respond positively to the invitation.
“We met opposition leaders on Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s instructions and invited them to join the electoral reforms committee,” Sherry said, adding that the opposition had indicated it would respond after consultations.
Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan called for equal representation of the government and opposition on the electoral reforms committee.
He said electoral reforms should be impartial and reflect the aspirations of the public.
According to sources, the committee is expected to examine allegations of rigging in the 2024 general elections, as well as subsequent by-elections and elections in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
It will also seek to identify those responsible for electoral irregularities and recommend measures to prevent their recurrence, the sources said.
The committee’s recommendations will subsequently be presented to Parliament for approval.
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the National Assembly had already approved the formation of the electoral reforms committee and that the speaker would soon issue its formal notification.
He said the process of finalising the committee’s membership was still underway.
The proposed committee will comprise 30 parliamentarians, including 20 members of the National Assembly and 10 senators. Seats will be allocated to political parties according to their numerical strength in the two houses.
Tariq said efforts would be made to give due consideration to “positive, constructive and workable” proposals from all parliamentary parties.
