Pakistan’s Minister Attaullah Tarar Criticizes Supreme Court’s Decision on Reserved Seats
On August 5, Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, expressed concerns about the Supreme Court’s decision on reserved seats, stating it went beyond the Constitution. He noted that the detailed decision had not been released even after 15 days.
Tarar highlighted the dissenting opinions of two judges, questioning the decision’s impact on Articles 62 and 63. He warned that this could lead to floor crossing and party changes in the future. A review application has been filed regarding the decision.
Senator Irfan Siddiqui, a parliamentary leader in the Senate and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, also criticized the decision, calling it controversial and beyond jurisdiction. He cited the dissenting notes of the judges and the views of constitutional experts.
PTI leader Akbar S Babar emphasized that any court order not aligned with the Constitution is not binding. The Supreme Court had declared the Imran Khan-founded party eligible for reserved seats for women and minorities, overturning previous decisions by the Peshawar High Court and the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Since the decision, the Election Commission has notified 39 out of 80 Members of the National Assembly as PTI members, along with 93 lawmakers in provincial assemblies. The commission has sought further guidance from the Supreme Court on the remaining PTI lawmakers.
Doubts Revealed
Attaullah Tarar -: Attaullah Tarar is a politician in Pakistan who is currently serving as the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting.
Supreme Court -: The Supreme Court is the highest court in a country. In this case, it refers to the highest court in Pakistan.
Reserved Seats -: Reserved seats are special seats in the government that are set aside for certain groups of people, like women or minorities, to ensure they have representation.
Constitution -: A constitution is a set of rules and principles that outlines how a country is governed. It is like a rulebook for the government.
Articles 62 and 63 -: Articles 62 and 63 are parts of Pakistan’s Constitution that set the qualifications and disqualifications for members of the Parliament.
Senator Irfan Siddiqui -: Irfan Siddiqui is a member of Pakistan’s Senate, which is one of the two houses in the country’s Parliament.
PTI -: PTI stands for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, which is a political party in Pakistan founded by Imran Khan.
Akbar S Babar -: Akbar S Babar is a leader in the PTI party in Pakistan.
Binding -: If something is binding, it means it must be followed or obeyed. In this context, it means that the court’s decision must be followed if it aligns with the Constitution.
