By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The election regulatory body said on Friday that it would enforce the Supreme Court’s verdict on reserved seats for women and minorities in national and provincial legislatures, but sought clarity on some aspects of the decision.
The Supreme Court ruled in favor of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, stating that it was eligible for reserved seats in national and provincial assemblies.
The PTI had contested the February 8 general polls as independents after being stripped of its election symbol by the top court for not holding proper intra-party elections.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had ruled that PTI was not entitled to reserved seats, which were allocated to other political factions. However, the Supreme Court reversed this decision, criticizing the ECP for misconstruing its earlier verdict.
The ECP said it would implement the Supreme Court’s decision but had asked its lawyers to identify any points that posed implementation challenges. “The election commission has decided to implement the Supreme Court’s decision,” the ECP said in a statement. “However, the election commission has instructed its legal team to immediately identify any points of the Supreme Court decision that pose implementation challenges, so that further guidance can be sought from the court.”
The ECP stated that 39 MNAs who had shown affiliation with PTI in their nomination papers had not submitted party tickets or declarations to returning officers and therefore could not be declared PTI candidates. The remaining 41 candidates who were declared independent had not mentioned PTI in their nomination papers or disclosed their affiliation.
The PTI had criticized the ECP, accusing it of bias and calling for the top official to step down.
The statement also condemned constant criticism from a political party, terming demands for the Chief Election Commissioner’s resignation “ridiculous.” The commission asserted that it would not succumb to pressure and would work according to the constitution and law.
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