ISLAMABAD, July 22: The president on Monday amended the Political Parties Order, 2002, removing the condition of bachelor degree for holding any political party office.

The amendment order provided that rules would now be framed by the Election Commission, in consultation with the approval of the president. Earlier, the rules were to be framed by the Election Commission in consultation with the federal government.

The order issued on Monday, called Political Parties (Amendment) Order, 2002, provides “that the condition of educational qualification being a graduate possessing bachelor degree or equivalent laid down for a member of Majlis-i-Shoora (parliament) or a provincial assembly shall not be applicable to an office-bearer of a political party.”

The order, which would come into force with immediate effect, further provided that the deputy chairman senate would also be included in the list of public office holders as provided under Article 9 of the Political Parties Order, 2002.

After the amendment to Article 19 of Political Parties Order, the provision would read as :”The Election Commission may, with the approval of the president, make rules for carrying out the purposes of this order.”

In Article 19 for the words “federal government” the word “president” shall be substituted, it said.

It may be mentioned that various political parties including the PML(Q) had demanded of the government to withdraw the graduation condition for the office-bearers of the political parties.