ECP
ISLAMABAD: After the Supreme Court’s verdict on reserved seats, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) took swift action on Monday, suspending lawmakers elected on seats denied to the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).
This move impacted a significant number of legislators across different political parties, including 44 members of the ruling PML-N, 15 from PPP, 13 from JUI-F, and one each from MQM-P, Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party, Awami National Party, Pakistan Muslim League, and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians.
In addition to the suspension of lawmakers, the ECP also addressed similar issues in provincial assemblies. In the KP Assembly, 21 lawmakers holding reserved seats for women and 4 representing minorities were de-notified. Similarly, in the Punjab Assembly, 24 women lawmakers and 3 non-Muslim legislators faced de-notification. Meanwhile, in the Sindh Assembly, the commission de-notified 2 female lawmakers and a minority member.
The Supreme Court’s intervention, led by Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, came on May 7, suspending the ECP and PHC’s verdict on SIC reserved seats. The focus of this suspension was to ensure the accurate representation of the people’s mandate in Parliament, particularly concerning the allocation of additional seats.
Reserved seats were redistributed among various political parties, with allocations made based on the number of lawmakers elected on general seats. This process aimed to uphold constitutional provisions while considering the specific circumstances of each party’s participation in the elections.
In light of these developments, the political landscape has witnessed significant shifts, especially with a notable increase in independent candidates. This unique situation has necessitated careful consideration in the allocation of reserved seats to ensure fairness and representation in the legislative bodies.
