Pakistan’s Election Commission Seeks Supreme Court’s Guidance on Reserved Seats for PTI

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has submitted two more petitions to the Supreme Court, seeking a stay on its July 12 order regarding reserved seats for women and minorities. The Supreme Court had earlier declared the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) eligible for these seats.

On September 23, the Supreme Court issued a detailed judgment, terming PTI a political party eligible for reserved seats. However, the ECP is seeking guidance on whether to follow the amended Election Act 2017 or the court’s judgment.

The ECP cited a letter from National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, stating that amendments to the Election Act made the court’s July 12 ruling “incapable of implementation.” The ECP also filed petitions for review and sought a stay on the July 12 order until the pleas were decided.

The ECP argued that the Supreme Court’s verdict was based on “assumptions” and that the court cannot rewrite the Constitution. The ECP also pointed out discrepancies in the court’s ruling, such as granting independent lawmakers 15 days to join a political party, contrary to the Constitution’s three-day requirement.

The ECP maintained that PTI did not claim its share of reserved seats at any forum and that the candidates did not submit party affiliation certificates as required. The Supreme Court’s July 12 ruling was seen as a major victory for PTI, but the ECP is challenging this decision.

Justice Mansoor Ali Shah announced the 8-5 majority verdict, nullifying the Peshawar High Court’s order that upheld the ECP’s decision to deny reserved seats to the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC). The PTI candidates had contested the general elections as independents after the ECP deprived the party of its electoral symbol over “unlawful” intra-party polls.