ISLAMABAD: The ruling coalition secured a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly on Wednesday after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) distributed reserved seats among the PML-N, PPP, and JUI-F, in line with a recent Supreme Court verdict.
Following the top court’s ruling last week, which overturned an earlier decision granting the PTI access to reserved seats, the ECP withdrew its previous notifications that had declared PTI-backed independents as returned candidates. The Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench, by a majority of 7-0, ruled that the PTI no longer qualifies as a parliamentary party, disqualifying it from receiving reserved seats for women and minorities.
Acting on the decision, the ECP reallocated the reserved seats in the National Assembly, awarding 13 seats to the PML-N, four to the PPP, and two to the JUI-F. This distribution pushed the ruling coalition past the 224-seat threshold needed for a two-thirds majority in the 336-member house.
According to updated figures from the National Assembly Secretariat, the treasury benches now hold 235 seats compared to the opposition’s 98. Three seats remain unfilled — one due to suspension, and two still vacant.
Provincial Assembly Allocations
Reserved seats were also reallocated in the provincial assemblies:
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 10 seats to JUI-F, 7 to PML-N, 6 to PPP, and one each to PTI-Parliamentarians and ANP.
- Punjab: 23 to PML-N, 2 to PPP, and one each to PML-Q and Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party.
- Sindh: 2 seats to PPP, and one to MQM-P.
Background: Reserved Seats Controversy
The redistribution followed a legal battle that began with a March 25 order by the Peshawar High Court, which ruled that the Sunni Ittehad Council — joined by PTI-backed independents after the Feb 8 elections — was not eligible for reserved seats.
Earlier dissenting opinions from Supreme Court justices, including Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, had argued in favor of awarding 39 reserved seats to PTI, recognizing it as a parliamentary party. However, the recent majority ruling reversed that position, instructing the ECP to reexamine the matter and allocate seats accordingly.
The July 12, 2024 majority ruling had initially directed 41 PTI-aligned independents to submit affidavits declaring their party affiliation. But with the latest judgement, that pathway was shut down.
Justices Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, who were part of the earlier majority, later reviewed their stance and supported the petitions by PML-N, PPP, and ECP — ultimately facilitating the exclusion of PTI from the allocation process.
The ECP has now been instructed to complete the reserved seat allocation process based on the updated legal framework and party positions.
