Reserved Seats
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Gohar Khan asserted that no other party should be entitled to the reserved seats of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC). He claimed that every decision by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) failed to protect their constitutional rights, stating that no session should take place until a decision on the reserved seats is reached.
Gohar Khan alleged that the session of the Punjab Assembly was conducted ‘illegally,’ and he anticipates that the scheduled session of the National Assembly on February 29 will also be deemed illegal. He insisted that the meeting should be convened only after the notification of all members, emphasizing that the SIC had submitted four applications to the ECP.
Highlighting the reserved seats, Gohar Khan mentioned that there are 60 women and 10 minority seats reserved in the National Assembly. He accused PTI of being called through conspiratorial methods, claiming that 86 PTI MNAs joined the Sunni Ittehad Council. In Punjab, 107 MPs joined SIC, and in KP, 9 MPs joined SIC, along with nine MPs in the Sindh Assembly.
Sahibzada Hamid Raza, the leader of Sunni Ittehad Council, commended Gohar Khan for presenting points in a legal manner before the ECP. He expressed hope that the ECP would make decisions based on facts and the Constitution.
Azam Nazir Tarar criticized PTI, stating that they want specific seats by violating the Constitution. He emphasized that the legal position on reserved seats is clear, and PTI joined SIC without proper consideration.
The Election Commission of Pakistan adjourned the hearing on the petitions against the Sunni Ittehad Council until the next day. The case involves the inclusion of independent candidates in SIC and the allotment of special seats.
The Chief Election Commissioner acknowledged the need to hear requests from various political parties before issuing an order on the objections of the Sunni Unity Council.
