Pakistan's National Assembly has approved a 30-member parliamentary committee to work on electoral reforms, the minister for parliamentary affairs confirmed on Friday, 30 October. The panel will comprise 20 members of the National Assembly and 10 senators, with seats shared among parties in proportion to their strength in the two houses.

Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the Speaker's formal notification was still to come and that finalising members' names was under way. Until that notification is issued, the committee cannot begin formal work, and no chair has yet been named.

What the committee is expected to examine

Its stated purpose is to recommend reforms aimed at free, fair and transparent elections, including the possible use of newer technology and draft legislation where needed. Reports also point to questions raised about the 2024 general elections, later by-elections and polls in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, although its terms of reference have not been published.

An earlier motion adopted on 16 October set the broad framework: members from all parliamentary parties in proportion to their representation, a quorum of one quarter of the total membership, and a report to Parliament within a timeframe set by the Speaker after notification.

Opposition participation still undecided

That question remains open. A Pakistan Peoples Party delegation met opposition leaders at Parliament House in Islamabad on 30 October, on the instructions of chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, and invited them to join. Opposition leaders signalled willingness in principle but sought time to consult their leadership before a formal answer.

Representation is one point of contention: the PTI chairman has called for equal government and opposition representation, while the minister's formula distributes seats by numerical strength. How that is settled will shape whether the panel is seen as a joint exercise or a government-led one.