ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has rejected the plea of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), seeking the allocation of reserved seats.
It was a 4-1 decision as the ECP Punjab Member Babar Hassan Bharwana dissented with the decision.
In its decision, the Election Commission said that the SIC doesn’t deserves to be allotted reserved seats, and decided that now reserved seats will be distributed among other parties including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and others.
However, Babar Hassan Bharwana in his dissenting note observed that reserved seats can’t be allocated to other parties. He noted that reserved seats be kept vacant until a Constitutional amendment is made to the effect.
In its response, the PTI said that “ECP is already violating the law by not releasing Form45s for which they are bound. Now they have rejected PTI’s request for reserved seats, in clear violation of rules and regulations. Such decisions by CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja are in continuation with his role in disrespecting his oath and public mandate.”
Meanwhile, Barrister Syed Ali Zafar has announced to challenge the ECP’s decision regarding the reserved seats in the Court.
Last Wednesday, the ECP had reserved its verdict on plea pertaining to the allotment of reserved seats to the SIC wherein Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed Independents joined on the party leadership’s decision after winning from their respective Constituencies in February 08 general elections.
The ECP has put on hold the notifications on all the 10 reserved seats for women in the National Assembly from Khyber Pakthunkhwa (KP) and 21 out of total 26 reserved seats for women in the KP Assembly, stating that “the decision is “pending before the Commission” on the issue of PTI candidates joining the SIC.
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