PTI Faces Setback as Election Commission Denies Reserved Seats Amid Symbol Ban

Last Updated on March 7, 2024 1:01 pm

In a significant blow to former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s PTI party, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced on Monday that the PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) cannot lay claim to allocated reserved seats in the national and provincial assemblies.

PTI, barred from recent elections due to a ban on their electoral symbol, took the unconventional route of instructing its candidates to join the Sunni Ittehad Council to bolster their numerical strength in the National Assembly.

The five-member electoral body, in a 4-1 decision outlined in a 22-page judgment, ruled that the SIC failed to submit a party list for reserved candidates by the ECP’s February 22 deadline, just two weeks after the February 8 election.

The National Assembly in Pakistan holds a total of 70 reserved seats, distributed among parties based on their performance in general elections. Similarly, the four provincial assemblies have a combined total of 149 reserved seats allocated in a similar manner. While a majority of these reserved seats have been assigned, approximately 77 remain vacant for now.

Critics argue that the ECP’s decision challenges the democratic process. Senator Ali Zafar of PTI, also a senior party lawyer, labeled it as “the last assault on the heart of democracy” during a speech in the Senate, the upper house of the assembly, on Monday following the announcement.

PTI intends to contest the decision in higher courts, potentially initiating a prolonged legal battle. However, if the party fails to overturn the ruling, it could further weaken its position in the lower house of parliament. This setback opens the possibility of the ruling coalition gaining a two-thirds majority in the 336-member National Assembly, altering the political landscape in Pakistan.