Reserved Seats Verdict
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has solidified its political dominance both in Punjab and at the federal level following a significant decision by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) restoring reserved seats for women and minorities.
The ECP’s move, in line with the Supreme Court’s landmark verdict on June 27, has notably increased the numerical strength of the ruling coalition and reshaped the political landscape in the country’s largest province and in the National Assembly.
In Punjab, the PML-N’s representation in the provincial legislature has risen from 206 to 229 members, making it the single largest party in the 371-member assembly. This includes a substantial increase in the number of women on reserved seats, which jumped from 36 to 57. Minority representation also grew from 5 to 7, underscoring the party’s broader reach across diverse segments of society.
Other parties have also benefited from the ECP’s decision. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) added one seat for women, increasing its total in Punjab from 14 to 16. PML-Q rose from 10 to 11 members, with an additional reserved seat for a woman.
The Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) also gained a seat, taking its total to 7. Meanwhile, the opposition bloc includes the Sunni Ittehad Council with 76 members and the PTI with 27, while smaller parties like Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen hold one seat each.
The current strength of the Punjab Assembly stands at 369, with one seat vacant due to a pending by-election and one independent member still not having taken oath a year after the elections.
At the federal level, the restoration of reserved seats has enabled the ruling alliance to secure a commanding two-thirds majority in the National Assembly. The coalition now controls 232 out of the 333 occupied seats, comfortably surpassing the 224 required for constitutional amendments without the need for opposition backing.
PML-N leads the alliance with 123 seats, followed by PPP with 74 and MQM with 22. Other coalition partners include the IPP (4), PML-Q (5), Balochistan Awami Party (1), National Party (1), and Muslim League-Zia (1), along with one independent lawmaker. This alignment has granted the government a powerful legislative mandate.
On the opposition side, a total of 98 seats are held collectively by the Sunni Ittehad Council (80), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (10), PTI-backed independents (5), and one member each from Balochistan National Party (BNP), Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM), and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP).
This new power configuration not only reinforces the PML-N’s central role in both the provincial and national legislatures but also gives the ruling alliance considerable leverage in implementing its policy agenda, including constitutional reforms, without depending on cross-party negotiations. The restoration of reserved seats has thus dramatically altered the political equation in Pakistan, further entrenching PML-N’s leadership position.
