ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday decided to challenge the top electoral body’s verdict in the Supreme Court of Pakistan after it denied the party the seats reserved for women and minorities in the National Assembly.

The PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), had sought the seats through an application which stirred controversy and led to a prolonged deliberation by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

A five-member bench presided over by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, reached a 4-1 verdict, declaring that the SIC is not entitled to reserved seats in the National Assembly.

Barrister Ali Zafar who is the party’s counsel in the case said that the ECP’s decision is a stab in the back of democracy which the party would challenge in the apex court.

He said that the national and the four provincial assemblies are supposed to elect senators, president, prime minister, and chairman Senate, and incomplete assemblies cannot fulfil these elections.

He said that Section 6 (D) of the Constitution’s Article 51 mentions that political parties will be allocated reserve seats based on their success ratio.

According to the Constitution, he added, if an independent candidate joins a political party, it becomes entitled to reserve seats.

“The PTI-backed independent candidates had joined the SIC to get the seats reserved for women and the minorities and the ECP should have allotted its 29 seats in the lower house of parliament,” he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024