Islamabad: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) on Monday opposed the petition filed by the Sunni Ittehad Council against the Peshawar High Court (PHC). ). Denial is aimed at women and minorities.
The development came after the full 13-member Supreme Court accepted a plea by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) a major ally of the SIK challenging the PHC’s decision on reserved seats.
The bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Kazi Faez Isa included Justices Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Munib Akhtar, Yahya Afridi, Aminuddin Khan, Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Aisha Malik, Athar Minallah, Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi. , Shahid Wahid, Irfan Saadat Khan and Naeem Akhtar Afghan.
On May 6, a three-judge bench headed by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, including Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Athar Minallah, upheld the PHC’s order and referred the matter to a committee of judges to form a larger bench. the problem requires constitutional interpretation.
The PHC ended up in the Supreme Court after rejecting SIK’s appeal for reserved seats.
In April, SIK chief Sahibzada Hamid Raza, who is also the speaker of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly, approached the apex court against the PHC order, praying that the party be given 67 women and 11 minority seats. pray that the high court should set aside its decision.
After the February 8 general elections, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided not to allocate reserved seats for women and minorities as they have not submitted a list of candidates for these seats. This decision is also supported by PHC.
However, the PHC order stood when the decision was challenged in the Supreme Court.
According to the SC order, the ECP has suspended the notification of the victory of 77 members of Parliament who were elected on the seats that were rejected from the SIK.
The Hamid Raza-led SIK joined forces with the PTI-backed Independent Candidates Party, which won the February 8 election, after it was stripped of its “bat” election symbol.
However, PTI’s attempt to claim reserve seats failed in March when the commission ruled that SIK cannot claim quota for reserve seats. chair”.
The council not only rejected the land provided but distributed it to other parties.
Advocate Faisal Siddiqui appeared on behalf of PTI-backed SIK, represented by Advocate General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Hearing day
At the beginning of the trial, Siddiqui’s lawyer said that there were two different pleas before the court.
Meanwhile, the lawyer said he has filed a contempt petition against his government at the PHC for disobeying the court order.
JIM’s lawyers read the three-judge panel’s decision at a later hearing.
CJP Isa advised the opposing parties and stakeholders in the case.
Advocate Siddiqui said that those who were given additional seats were the beneficiaries and said that a total of 77 seats were in dispute.
He also said that 22 National Assembly meetings and 55 Provincial Assembly meetings were controversial.
At this point, JJP asked which party won eight seats from KP. Siddiqui said that for this, PML-N got four seats, JUI-F and PPP got two seats each.
He also told the court that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) had given additional seats to women of Sindh. The board allocates seats for board members.
At this time, CJP Isa asked if there was a party that supported SIK in the court. For this, PPP, PML-N and JUI-F rejected the demand of SIK.
Then, Justice Akhtar said in the notice that he did not get a seat in SIK.
“There is no logic in the ECP order. On the one hand, it says that the SIK does not participate in the elections, and on the other hand, it accepts to be a parliament.”
Reserved seats conundrum PML-N, PPP, JUI-F oppose SIC plea in Supreme Court
