ECP to implement SC decision on reserved seats

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to implement the Supreme Court’s ruling on seats reserved for women and minorities.

The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja.

On July 12, a full bench of 13 judges from the Supreme Court ruled that the opposition PTI is eligible to receive reserved seats for women and non-Muslims in both national and provincial assemblies.

This decision has dealt a significant blow to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ruling coalition and potentially positions PTI as the single largest party in both houses of Parliament. The Supreme Court also recognized PTI as a parliamentary party.

In a statement issued after the meeting, the ECP condemned the targeting of the Chief Election Commissioner by a political party. The commission’s statement rejected the criticism and deemed the demand for the Chief Election Commissioner’s resignation as absurd.

“The election commission will continue to operate in accordance with the law, without succumbing to any pressure,” the statement read.

The ECP clarified that it has not misinterpreted any Supreme Court decisions.

Regarding PTI, the ECP stated that it (ECP) did not validate the party’s intra-party elections.

“The PTI approached various forums against the ECP’s decision, but these forums upheld the commission’s original decision,” the statement said.

Earlier, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had formally lodged a review petition with the Supreme Court (SC), contesting a recent decision concerning the allocation of reserved seats in national and provincial legislatures.

The petition had been forwarded to the judges committee on practice and procedure.