ISLAMABAD: The federal government has announced plans to present a resolution challenging the Supreme Court’s recent verdict on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) reserved seats. Sources revealed that the resolution will be tabled during the upcoming National Assembly session.
The resolution is a response to the Supreme Court’s decision, which affirmed PTI’s eligibility for reserved seats, significantly impacting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ruling coalition. The government intends to use the National Assembly session to debate the supremacy and autonomy of the parliament.
President Asif Ali Zardari has summoned the National Assembly session a week ahead of schedule, set to take place on July 30 at the Parliament House at 1700 hours. This session was called under the powers granted to the President by Article 54 (1) of the Constitution.
The Supreme Court’s 13-member bench, led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, ruled in favor of PTI, allowing the allocation of reserved seats. The verdict was passed by an 8-5 majority, overturning the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) decision, which had previously upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) denial of the reserved seats to PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC). The minority dissenting judges included Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Jamal Mandokhail, Justice Naeem Afghan, Justice Yahya Afridi, and Justice Ameenuddin Khan.
The issue of reserved seats gained prominence after over 80 PTI-backed independent candidates won in the February 8 elections. The SIC sought the allocation of reserved seats from the ECP, but the request was denied due to the party’s failure to submit a list of candidates on time. The ECP’s decision, later upheld by the PHC, allocated the reserved seats to other political parties, leading the SIC to appeal to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court’s ruling allowed PTI to secure the reserved seats, disrupting the balance of power. This verdict was seen as a major setback for the ruling coalition, which had previously secured a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly due to the distribution of reserved seats. This included significant gains for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
The upcoming National Assembly session will not only address the Supreme Court’s verdict but may also involve critical legislation, reflecting the government’s strategic response to the shifting political landscape.
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