The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has declared 39 lawmakers, who initially contested as independent candidates in the February 8 elections and later joined the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), as members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). This decision aligns with the Supreme Court’s July 12 verdict on the reserved seats case.
On July 12, the Supreme Court ruled that PTI was entitled to reserved seats as it had won general seats in the national and provincial assemblies in the February 8 elections. The court’s decision overturned the Peshawar High Court’s judgment and the ECP’s earlier ruling, which had denied PTI the reserved seats due to a failure to submit a list of candidates within the stipulated time.
A key session chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja resulted in the decision to upload the notification of the 39 lawmakers’ affiliation with PTI on the ECP website. Notable PTI MNAs include Asad Qaiser, Sher Afzal Khan, Latif Khan Khosa, and Zartaj Gul.
The PTI candidates, having been deprived of their election symbol, contested the February 8 elections as independents. Post-election, these independents joined SIC to be eligible for reserved seats. Despite PTI’s success in securing the most seats, the ECP and PHC initially upheld the denial of reserved seats, citing procedural delays by PTI.
The Supreme Court’s full bench, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, declared the ECP’s order of March 1 as unconstitutional. Following the SC directives, the ECP deliberated and confirmed that the 39 candidates had declared their PTI affiliation in their nomination papers. However, 41 candidates did not disclose any party affiliation and were allowed to contest as independents.
This decision not only reinstates PTI’s presence in parliament but also increases pressure on the coalition alliance by altering the National Assembly’s composition. The ruling parties, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), have filed a review petition in the Supreme Court against this verdict, highlighting the unexpected legal victory for PTI.
The ECP’s declaration, following the Supreme Court’s verdict, has significant implications for Pakistan’s political landscape, especially with the restored PTI members in parliament. The ongoing legal and political responses are set to shape the future dynamics within the National Assembly
