The government has decided to amend Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution, Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid said on Tuesday.

The law minister made the announcement during a session of the National Assembly called to debate amendments to a proposed election law put forward by opposition parties.

He said the government will take up the matter with the reforms committee.

The government also rejected a suggestion forwarded by Muttahida Qaumi Movement to set the maximum duration of disqualification to five years.

Noting that there was no explicit duration for disqualification set under the current law, he said, "We want the duration of disqualification to be less than five years."

NA approves Election Bill 2017

The National Assembly, during the session, voted its approval for the Election Bill 2017.

According to the bill, the president will have to consult the Election Commission of Pakistan before announcing a date for general elections.

Under the proposed law, the ECP will be bound to submit an annual report of its performance to the government, which will be presented before the federal and provincial assemblies.

Here are the salient features of the proposed law:

ECP will have the authority to take action against polling staff for negligence.

Surety of any candidate, who receives less than one-fourth of the total votes, will be confiscated.

ECP will no longer have the authority to make any changes in nomination papers of the candidates.

Candidates will now have 28 instead of 21 days for running the election campaign.

Votes of male and female voters will be counted separately in the general elections.

Limits will be imposed on the budget spent on campaigning by political parties.

Returning officers will not have the authority to publish extra ballot papers.

The lawmakers will be required to submit wealth statements every year.

Anyone who intimidates or harms ECP staff will have to pay a fine of Rs0.1 million or will be sent to jail for two years.

Anyone who takes picture of the ballot papers or shows their vote to others will face the same punishment.

Every political party will have to hold intra-party elections every five years.

Differently-abled people will be able to cast their vote through postal service.

Election tribunals will comprise serving judges instead of retired ones.

The National Assembly concluded a debate on the proposed election law, during which almost all opposition parties raised objections over various clauses of the bill.

Expressing his anger at the opposition, the law minister asked why the objections were not raised during the 'exhaustive' consultation process.

Earlier, the Opposition Leader Khursheed Shah had criticised the government for the thin attendance on treasury benches.

"The opposition was fully cooperating with the government but the government itself was not taking parliament seriously," he complained.

Backlash on amendment to Articles 62, 63

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday called PML-N's decision to amend Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution "disgraceful" and an attempt to "give legal cover to Sharif family's unbridled corruption".

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was disqualified in a landmark verdict in the Panama Papers case by the Supreme Court (SC) last month for failing to disclose a receivable salary as an asset and therefore, not being 'honest' — a prerequisite for eligibility to the chief executive's office, enshrined in Article 62 of the Constitution.

Khan was not alone in his opposition. Talking to the media after a meeting with PML-N leader Zafar Ali Shah, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said that his party will not allow the ruling party to make the proposed amendments and demanded to know the reason behind the government's intention to revise the Constitution.

The PML-Q leader also attacked PML-N leaders for criticising the SC, saying that it is an attempt to undermine the judiciary. He warned that contempt of court can also lead to jail.