Islamabad:
The National Assembly found its full force on Wednesday as the Pakistan Electoral Commission (ECP) distributed seats reserved among the parliamentary parties of the Chamber, in accordance with the decision of the Constitutional Banc (CB) of the Supreme Court last week.
In a decision of 7-3 majority in the reserved seats case, the CB canceled on Friday the judgment of July 12, 2024 of the Supreme Court, effectively removing the reserved seats of Pakistan Tehreek-E-insaf (PTI) and putting them back to their rival parties in the national and provincial legislatures.
The CB restored the ordinance of March 25, 2024 of the High Court of Peshawar (PHC), which had deprived the Sunni Council of Ittehad – the party joined by independents supported by PTI after the elections of February 8, 2024 – reserved seats. The decision effectively meant that the PTI was no longer a parliamentary party.
Consequently, the 77 reserved seats of national and provincial assemblies were allocated among the parliamentary parties present in the respective assemblies, as they could not be maintained vacant. As expected, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PKL-N) in power was the main beneficiary.
In light of the CB decision, the ECP distributed 19 seats reserved for the National Assembly, of which, according to an ECP press release, 13 went to PML-N, four for parliamentarians from the Pakistani peoples’ party (JUI).
After the allocation of reserved seats, the management coalition, including PML-N, PPPP, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and other parts, increased above two thirds of 224 in house 336.
Acting on the verdict of the court, the ECP made an order on Wednesday, withdrawing its notifications from July 24 and 29, 2024 which had declared independent candidates, winning the general seats of national and provincial assemblies as PTI legislators.
In another ordinance, the ECP informed the names of the candidates returned in various categories of seats reserved with immediate effect. The Secretariat of the National Assembly subsequently detailed the composition of the Chamber, reflecting the real post of the party after the court verdict and the distribution of the ECP.
The data published by the Directorate of Secretariat Legislation showed that the strength of the Treasury benches had inflated to 235 seats, with 98 of the opposition, in the Chamber, it currently included 333 legislators – with a suspended member and two reserved seats remaining.
The ECP also distributed the seats reserved in provincial assemblies. In the KP Assembly, 10 seats were given to JUI-F, Sept to the PML-N, six to the PPPP and each at the PTI-Parliamentians and the National Party Awami (ANP).
The PML-N received 23 seats in the Punjab assembly-two at the PPPP and each at the Pakistani Muslim League (PML-Q) and the Istehkam-E-Pakistan (PPI) party. In the assembly of the Sindh, two seats were given to the PPPP and one at the MQM-P.
