ISLAMABAD, July 14 (Alliance News):The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday reserved its verdict on the petitions filed by PML-N, JUI-F, and other parties regarding the allocation of reserved seats in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly.
A four-member bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, reserved the decision after hearing detailed arguments from all sides.
Lawyers representing the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), and other political parties appeared before the commission to contest the seat allocation process.
The case follows the July 8 ruling of the Peshawar High Court (PHC), which had annulled the ECP’s earlier notification on the distribution of reserved seats for women and minorities in the KP Assembly.
The court ordered the ECP to hear all stakeholders and issue a fresh allocation within ten days. It also suspended the oath-taking of candidates on these seats until a final decision is reached.
JUI-F leader Kamran Murtaza, speaking to reporters outside the ECP, stated that PML-N had demanded a greater share of reserved seats after an independent MPA, Tariq Awan, joined their ranks.
However, he clarified that post-deadline affiliations of independents do not influence reserved seat calculations.
At present, the PTI-led government holds 92 seats in the 145-member KP Assembly, while the opposition alliance has reached 53 seats, narrowing the gap as the ECP prepares to issue its final ruling.
Earlier, on July 2, the ECP had reinstated 74 of 77 reserved seats across various assemblies following the Supreme Court’s verdict on June 27, which upheld review petitions on the matter.
