Opposition leaders have shown positive signs toward joining a special parliamentary body focused on fixing election issues. This follows a direct approach from the Pakistan Peoples Party. A formal reply is expected soon after internal talks.
On October 30, 2026, a PPP team met senior opposition figures at Parliament House in Islamabad. The meeting took place on the clear instructions of party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. PPP Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman led the outreach. She invited the opposition to sit on the proposed electoral reforms committee. The goal, she explained, is for both government and opposition to work together and suggest practical steps that can deliver transparent, free and fair elections.
Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan chief and National Assembly Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai, along with alliance vice chairman and Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, asked for a few days to consult the PTI leadership. They said a formal response would come after those discussions. Raja Nasir agreed that the election process needs greater transparency. Sherry Rehman expressed confidence that the opposition would give a constructive reply.
Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan stressed that any reforms body must give equal seats to the government and the opposition. He insisted that changes should stay impartial and match the public’s demand for clean elections.
Sources say the committee will look into claims of irregularities in the 2024 general elections as well as later by-elections and polls in Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. It will also try to identify those responsible and recommend steps so the same problems do not return. Once ready, the recommendations will go to parliament for approval.
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry confirmed that the National Assembly has already approved the formation of the electoral reforms committee. The speaker will soon issue the official notification. The panel will have 30 members – 20 from the National Assembly and 10 from the Senate – with seats shared according to each party’s strength. He added that positive and workable ideas from every parliamentary party will receive proper attention.
The coming days will show whether the opposition joins this effort and helps shape a stronger election system for the country.
