ISLAMABAD: A National Assembly standing committee will take up this week a number of important laws related to the general elections, including a draft law on the salaries and allowances of the members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, headed by Mian Abdul Mannan, will be meeting on July 12 with five private members’ and one government bill on the agenda issued for the meeting by the National Assembly Secretariat.

There are three different private members’ bills seeking amendments to the Representation of the People Act (Ropa) 1976 on the agenda. Two of the bills have been moved by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) women MNAs, and one by a Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) woman MNA.

The committee will also discuss the salaries of members of parliament, besides reviewing the security measures taken by the government for parliamentarians “in [view of the] current situation in the country,” according to the agenda.

A source told Dawn that there was a possibility that all bills related to the elections and seeking amendments to Ropa 1976 might be referred to the Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms, headed by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.

The bipartisan committee consisting of members from both houses of parliament, he said, was busy preparing a unified law by merging all election-related laws in the country.

He said the bill regarding the salaries and the allowances of the ECP members might also be referred to the same committee. However, he said that since the issue had already become controversial following the retirement of ECP members last month, there was a possibility that the bill might be passed by the NA committee for onward transmission to the Senate, which had already taken up the issue last month.

The Members of the ECP (Salary, Allowances, Perks and Privileges) Bill 2016 had been introduced in the National Assembly by Minister of State for the Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Ahmed in March, amidst criticism of the government for giving salary raises to ECP members without the required legislation.

The ECP members had been provisionally drawing salaries since their appointment in June 2011 until their retirement last month. The members drew salary and perks equivalent to that of a sitting high court judge, which includes a salary of Rs527,270, a judicial allowance of Rs207,207 and a house rent of Rs65,000.

The previous law regarding salaries and allowances of ECP members was repealed with the passage of the 18th constitutional amendment. There had been an understanding amongst all the political parties that the ECP members should be paid salaries equivalent to the high court judges.

However, the previous PPP and present PML-N government failed to get the required law passed from parliament.

When the new ECP members, one from each province, were appointed in 2011, the Ministry of Finance agreed to release their salaries on the request of the ECP secretary without waiting for the passage of the required bill.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2016