PHC Rejects SIC's Plea For Reserved Seats

A PHC bench headed by Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and comprising Justice Ijaz Anwar, Justice Atiq Shah, Justice Shakeel Ahmed, and Justice Syed Arshad Ali, heard arguments from various parties, including the SIC and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

PESHAWAR: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-March 14^th, 2024) A five-member larger bench of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) has rejected the Sunni Ittehad Council's (SIC) petition seeking the allotment of reserved seats for women and minorities.

A PHC bench headed by Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and comprising Justice Ijaz Anwar, Justice Atiq Shah, Justice Shakeel Ahmed, and Justice Syed Arshad Ali, heard arguments from various parties, including the SIC and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Barrister Ali Zafar, representing the SIC, argued that despite winning seats as independents in the general elections, candidates later joined the SIC. However, the ECP did not allocate the expected seats to the SIC, prompting the legal challenge.

The court questioned whether it had jurisdiction over National Assembly seats, prompting discussions on the definition of a political party and its entitlement to reserved seats.

Barrister Zafar contended that a political party, whether it contests elections or not, is entitled to certain rights, including reserved seats based on the number of general seats won.

The court also debated the eligibility of independent candidates for reserved seats, with Barrister Zafar asserting that independents must join a party to be considered.

However, the court emphasized that parties not contesting elections are not entitled to reserved seats, illustrating the principle that zero added to anything remains zero.