ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Thursday, failed to map out its course of action on the implementation of Supreme Court’s verdict on allotting reserved seats in the assemblies to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), only to meet Friday (July 19) to take up this issue again.
The ECP officials, including the commission’s legal team, briefed the meeting on the matter, according to a brief statement from the poll body issued after the meeting.
The meeting was adjourned till Friday for “further progress” on the issue, the statement added.
Reserved seats case: ECP calls meeting to take stock of post-SC verdict situation
The commission is considering seeking confirmations from 41 lawmakers regarding their affiliation with PTI latest by July 27, Business Recorder has learnt. Keeping in view that the SC order on reserved seats was issued July 12, the cut-off date seeking the related confirmations within the stipulated 15-day period is July 27, an ECP source said.
The PTI said Thursday that 37 of the 41 Members National Assembly (MNAs) submitted the related affidavits to the ECP.
In its landmark verdict in the reserved seats case, the SC, last Friday, directed the ECP to seek confirmations from 41 PTI MNAs regarding their party memberships.
The apex court declared that 39 of the 80 MNAs were shown as PTI members, as per ECP record, but remaining 41 were shown as independents.
“In the peculiar facts and circumstances of the general election of 2024, it is declared that out of the aforesaid 80 returned candidates (now MNAs) those being 39 – in respect of whom the commission has shown PTI in any one of the aforesaid columns in the list, were and are the returned candidates whose seats were and have been secured by the PTI within the meaning, and for purposes of, para 5 above in relation to the Article 51 provisions,” read the apex court’s order.
“In the peculiar facts and circumstances of the general election of 2024, it is further ordered that any of the remaining 41 returned candidates out of the aforesaid 80—may, within 15 working days of this order file a statement duly signed and notarised stating that he or she contested the general election as a candidate of the political party specified therein,” the order read.
“If any such statement(s) is/are filed, the commission shall forthwith but in any case within seven days thereafter give notice to the political party concerned to file, within 15 working days, a confirmation that the candidate contested the general election as its candidate,” stated the apex court in its order.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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