Supreme Court to hear Sunni Ittehad Council case today

ISLAMABAD: The full bench of the Supreme Court (SC) is scheduled to resume the hearing today on the case regarding reserved seats initially demanded by the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), which were later rejected.

The case is now in its final stages, with Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa leading the legal bench.

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The Sunni Ittehad Council approached the Supreme Court challenging a decision rendered by the Peshawar High Court (PHC). Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Barrister Gauhar also filed a petition on behalf of his party. The proceedings focus on deciding the validity and distribution of reserved seats in the National Assembly, impacting its representation and governance.

The case concerns a dispute over reserved seats in Pakistan’s assemblies for women and minorities. It involves the Sunni Ittehad Council and PTI-backed candidates.

Initially, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) denied reserved seats to the SIC due to legal issues and violations related to party list submissions. As a result, the reserved seats were redistributed among other parties such as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan’s Peoples Party (PPP).

The SIC challenged the ECP’s decision in courts, arguing that they were entitled to the reserved seats. The SC is currently hearing the case, focusing on constitutional rights, election regulations, and the validity of the ECP’s decisions.

During previous hearings held on Monday and Tuesday, legal representatives presented arguments on behalf of their respective clients. Faisal Siddiqui, representing the Sunni Ittehad Council, argued against the Peshawar High Court’s decision.

Similarly, PTI leader Kanwal Shauzab’s lawyer, Salman Akram Raja, presented PTI’s perspective and interests in the case.

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Meanwhile, lawyers Makhdoom Ali Khan and Bashir Mohmand, representing other political parties and the ECP respectively, presented detailed legal arguments from their side.