ECP says relief granted to PTI in July 12 verdict ‘unconstitutional’
‘Reserved seats’
ISLAMABAD
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has stated that the Supreme Court’s July 12, 2024, verdict declaring PTI eligible for reserved seats exceeded the constitutional authority granted under Article 187(1) of the Constitution.
In its written response submitted in the SC against its July 12 verdict, the election body said: “The relief granted in the majority judgement to PTI is beyond the scope of power under Article 187(1) of the Constitution.”
Last year, the top court ruled that the former ruling party was eligible for the allocation of reserved seats. The verdict was announced by a 13-member bench, headed by then chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa. Besides ECP, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) also filed review petitions against the July 12, 2024 judgment on the reserved seats for women and minorities in national and provincial assemblies.
Currently, an 11-member constitutional bench — headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan — was hearing the review petitions.
Raising questions over the SC’s verdict, the electoral watchdog argued that PTI was not a party to the list before the ECP, PHC and SCP. It further said that contrary to findings in the SC judgement, the PTI did not even pray for allocation of the reserve seats to “PTI itself” or to “either PTI or SIC”. “PTI did not seek allocation of the disputed reserve seats to itself. Instead, PTI expressly asserted …. that the denial by the ECP of reserve seats to the SIC will result in the national assembly and the provincial assemblies losing their representative character. These seats cannot be allowed to any other party,” read the petition.
