Supreme Court reserves verdict on ‘SIC reserved seats’ case

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has reserved the verdict on the hearing of Sunni Ittehad Council’s (SIC) reserved seats.

SIC’s reserved seats case hearing adjourned until next Tuesday

Earlier, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had denied the SIC to have their nominated candidates become part of the parliament. A full court bench headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa is hearing the case.

Lawyer Faisal Siddiqui has come to the rostrum to present SIC’s arguments, while Salman Akram Raja argued on behalf of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Raja told the court that the tickets of PTI’s splinter group Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Nazriati (PTI-N) were also withdrawn. He said he wants to prove that the ECP tried to suppress its own record. “ECP has not submitted complete documents,” Raja said.

Justice Athar Minallah said that this case is very important, and serious questions have been raised on the responsibility of the ECP. He added that the ECP tried to suppress the record before the Supreme Court.

Justice Shahid Waheed added that ECP was showing itself as a party in this case. “At one time, institutions were considered as one body, now Election Commission has also come to win its case”.

“Are you are saying that those who went to the SIC through PTI were correct in this?” Justice Jamal Mandokhail queried to Salman Akram Raja, to which Raja replied that if the candidate has declared themselves as independent, they can join the [SIC] lawfully. “There was no option to join a party other than the SIC”, lawyer Raja added.

“Think and answer, doesn’t PTI want these seats back?” Justice Jamal Mandokhail said.

“If the court comes to such a conclusion from the constitutional interpretation, I do not deny it,” Salman Akram Raja said, adding that in 2018 elections, the list of reserved seats’ candidates was not submitted, but the reserved seats were given to Balochistan Awami Party (BAP).

Independent candidates joined the Sunni Ittehad Council within three days, the Sunni Ittehad Council became a parliamentary party, Salman Akram Raja said.

Do you want Supreme Court Judicial Council to take notice? Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa asked lawyer Salman Akram Raja. “The Supreme Court will not depend on 2018 elections”, Justice Isa said.

If the Election Commission is discriminating, let the Supreme Court see, Advocate Faisal Siddiqui said to which CJ Isa asked “That is, the Election Commission was right in 2018?”

Does the law say that the reserved seats can be given by one party to another party, Justice Hasan Azhar asked, to which SIC’s lawer Siddiqui said that this is not written in the text of the constitution.

“Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was given five seats in the National Assembly instead of two seats from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa”, said lawyer Siddiqui, adding, “Should the winner of 18 general seats get 30 reserved seats?”

CJ Isa added that “If proportional representation is to be considered that the SIC should get zero seats”.

No one is talking about the right to vote, Justice Athar Minallah said, adding that people voted for a certain political party and therefore it is important to make the elections transparent. He said that a major political party got the vote, which was expelled from the electoral process. “It is not about the political party, it is about the people’s right to vote,” Justice Athar Minallah said, adding “In 2018 as well, serious questions were raised on the elections and on the ECP”.

“Should we remain silent? Should the right of the people be violated?” Justice Athar Mianallah said.

After hearing the arguments from the parties concerned, the Supreme Court has reserved the verdict.