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The Supreme Court on Monday took up a petition filed by the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) — the new home for PTI lawmakers-elect — against the denial of reserved seats for women and minorities.
The SIC had earlier been joined by PTI-backed independent candidates after they won the Feb 8 elections as their party had been deprived of its electoral symbol ‘bat’.
In a 4-1 verdict in March, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had ruled that the SIC was not entitled to claim quota for reserved seats “due to having non curable legal defects and violation of a mandatory provision of submission of party list for reserved seats”.
The commission had also decided to distribute the seats among other parliamentary parties, with the PML-N and the PPP becoming major beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the verdict was rejected by the PTI as unconstitutional.
Later the same month, while ruling on an SIC plea, the PHC had dismissed an SIC plea challenging the ECP decision and denied it reserved seats.
In April, the SIC filed a petition — moved by party chief Sahibzada Hamid Raza — before the SC seeking to set aside the PHC judgment.
A three-member bench headed by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and including Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Athar Minallah took up the case today.
Lawyer Faisal Siddiqui appeared before the court as the SIC counsel.
After Siddiqui presented his arguments before the bench, the court summoned ECP officials on an urgent basis. It also issued notices to the federal government and Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan.
When the hearing resumed at 11:30am after a short break, the AGP and ECP officials appeared before the court.
At one point during the hearing, Justice Shah observed, “We have to protect the public mandate. The real issue is of the public mandate.”
More to follow
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