New NA composition after Supreme Court’s verdict: what lies ahead?

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court announced the reserved verdict today declaring the incumbent candidates on reserved seats ultra vires. The court also declared Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf deserving of reserved seats for women and minorities. This decision will result in change of the party’s standing in the National Assembly. Here’s a breakdown of the changes and their potential impact:

CHANGES IN PARTY POSITIONS

The number of PTI members in the National Assembly will increase from 84 to 106. Resultantly, the number of members in the opposition alliance will rise to 125.

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This alliance includes PTI, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM). Additionally, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) and Balochistan National Party (BNP) have joined the opposition alliance.

GOVERNMENT VS. OPPOSITION

Despite the changes, the government still holds 210 members in the National Assembly. This means that the government’s majority continues. However, this number is less than the two-thirds majority of 224 members needed for certain parliamentary approvals.

The number of members on the opposition benches will increase by around two dozen. This shift includes 84 members from the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), eight from PTI-backed independents, eight Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) members, one Balochistan National Party (BNP) member, one Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) member, and one member of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP).

IMPACT ON LEGISLATION

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The federal government, led by the Shahbaz administration, will face obstacles in future legislation, particularly concerning constitutional amendments. Parliamentary sources indicate that the ruling coalition requires a two-thirds majority to amend the constitution, which will be difficult to achieve with the current numbers.

RULING ALLIANCE COMPOSITION

The ruling alliance comprises the following parties:

Muslim League: 108 seats
People’s Party: 68 seats
Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan: 22 seats
Muslim League Q: 5 seats
IPP: 4 seats
Balochistan Awami Party: 1 seat
Muslim League Zia: 1 seat
National Party: 1 seat

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KEY DEVELOPMENTS

The Supreme Court overruled the Peshawar High Court’s decision and recognised PTI as a parliamentary party.

Suspended Memberships: Currently, membership is suspended on 22 reserved seats, which adds to the complexity of the political dynamics.a