The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has expressed strong opposition to the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to reinstate Sadaf Ihsan as a member of the National Assembly on a reserved seat for women from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, following a controversy that lasted nearly two years.
The ECP issued a notification on Wednesday restoring its March 4, 2024 declaration of Ms Ihsan as the returned candidate, after a full bench dismissed petitions filed by JUI-F and Hina Bibi, declaring them “devoid of merits and facts.” The matter had earlier been remanded to the commission by the Federal Constitutional Court on December 24, 2025, with instructions to decide the case afresh within one month.
The dispute arose when JUI-F disowned Ms Ihsan after the 2024 notification, claiming a case of mistaken identity and asserting that its priority list for reserved seats named “Sadaf Yasmeen” rather than “Sadaf Ihsan.” Acting on the complaint, the ECP had suspended Ms Ihsan’s notification on March 11, 2024.
In its detailed order, the ECP rejected the party’s arguments, observing that political parties are responsible for preparing accurate priority lists under the Election Rules, 2017. The commission noted inconsistencies and omissions in the lists submitted by JUI-F, questioned the existence and credentials of “Sadaf Yasmeen,” and highlighted delays in raising objections. It also confirmed that Ms Ihsan had been a registered JUI-F member since 2018, with documentary evidence and multiple family memberships on record.
Reacting to the decision, JUI-F spokesperson Aslam Ghauri termed the ruling “unjust” and “biased,” alleging that the party was being forced to accept “a stranger” in its parliamentary ranks. The party further claimed that the decision undermined constitutional and electoral norms, vowing to continue its political and legal struggle over the matter.
