ISLAMABAD -  After day-long efforts, the government on Friday got the amended Elections Bill 2017 passed from Senate amid a walkout by Chairman Raza Rabbani.

The new legislation paves the way for ousted premier Nawaz Sharif to become head of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) again.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had de-notified Nawaz as a member of the National Assembly in the light of the Supreme Court’s July 28 verdict, virtually rendering him ineligible to lead his party as its president.

During the Senate proceedings, the treasury benches with the help of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) defeated an amendment — sought by Leader of Opposition in Senate Aitzaz Ahsan in clause 203 — which stated that someone who was no longer a member of the National Assembly could not become the chief of a party either.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf supported the amendment moved by Ahsan.

The clause 203, to which Senator Ahsan had proposed an amendment, envisages electoral reforms including a fine of up to Rs0.1 million on lawmakers or three years in jail if irregularities were found in details of their assets and termination of lawmakers' membership if they fail to submit asset details within 60 days. It also grants ECP additional powers allowing it to summon services of any institution to investigate irregularities in asset details.

When the House resumed after Friday prayers, a vote count was held on the proposed amendment in clause 203 of the bill with 38 lawmakers rejecting the amendment against 37 lawmakers who pressed to pass it.

Railways Minister Saad Rafique played a key role in mustering the support of the MQM-P and the BNP-M in defeating the amendment with one vote.

The Elections Bill 2017, which contains 241 clauses was moved by Minister for Law Zahid Hamid, also envisages reforms to ensure free, fair and transparent elections in the country. The bill also includes some amendments moved by opposition members.

The bill, which was approved by the National Assembly in August, gives every citizen the right to be part of a political party or create one, except those who are in government service.

The law minister said that long and protracted deliberations were held to craft this ‘consensus’ document.

After the passage of the bill, PML-N leader and Minister for Climate Change Mushahidullah Khan said that with the approval of clause 203, Nawaz Sharif could become the party chief again.

“In fact, it can be considered that he has already become the party chief,” he added.

Prior to the Friday prayers, Senate Chairman Rabbani staged a walkout from the Upper House saying he had done so as the House had voted against his decision to disallow Law Minister Zahid Hamid from moving an amendment for undoing an amendment to clause 60 of the bill.

"During consideration of clause 60 of the bill, an amendment was moved which was put to the House," Rabbani said in a statement. "Thirty-nine members voted in favour of the amendment and 38 against the same. Consequently, the amendment was carried."

"Subsequently, while the said clause was still under consideration, Law Minister Hamid came with a proposal of moving an amendment to the amendment to restore clause 60 to its original form and annul the amendment carried by the House," Rabbani explained.

The Senate chairman said that he had used his discretion under rule 105 of the Senate rules of procedure to deny permission to move the amendment.

"However, he (minister) kept on pursuing the matter and pleaded that this amendment was very important and members want to reconsider it. Despite the fact that I had already given my decision, I bestowed my powers to the House to take a decision in this regard," he said.

"The House voted against my decision, therefore, keeping in view ethical standards of morality and parliamentary traditions, I decided not to sit in the House for consideration of this bill.”

Consequently, Rabbani called Senate Deputy Chairman Maulana Ghafoor Haideri to assume the chair.

However, when the House resumed after Friday prayers, instead of Haideri, Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah chaired the proceedings.

The Elections Bill 2017 passed by the Senate will be sent back to the National Assembly for approval because of the amendments, and if the Lower House passes it, the bill will become a law after a formal assent by President Mamnoon Hussain. If the assembly refuses to accept the bill, it will go to a joint sitting of Parliament.

Later, the chair prorogued the House sine die.