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Supreme Court Verdict Restores PTI Lawmakers' Status, ECP Notifies 39 MNAs
In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court has declared PTI eligible for reserved seats in the National Assembly. The ECP has now notified 39 returned MNAs as PTI lawmakers, revitalizing the party's presence in the legislature.
ND
by News Desk
2024-07-25
Supreme Court Verdict Restores PTI Lawmakers' Status, ECP Notifies 39 MNAs

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has notified 39 returned Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers following the Supreme Court's landmark verdict on the reserved seats case. The notification, issued on Wednesday, comes after the Supreme Court declared PTI eligible to receive reserved seats for women and non-Muslims in both the national and provincial assemblies, thereby affirming its status as a parliamentary party.

The Supreme Court's decision, delivered on July 12, was marked by an 8-5 majority, with all 13 judges concurring that PTI remains a parliamentary party. This ruling clarifies that 39 of the 80 MNAs listed by the ECP as PTI candidates are indeed affiliated with the party. The remaining 41 independents are required to submit notarized statements to the ECP within 15 days, confirming their candidacy under a specific political party.

The ECP's recent notification highlights that these 39 MNAs had declared their PTI affiliation in their nomination papers. However, they had not submitted the necessary party tickets and declarations to the returning officers, which previously prevented them from being recognized as PTI candidates. The ECP's latest decision corrects this oversight, officially listing them as PTI lawmakers.

The reserved seats issue has been contentious, with the Supreme Court's ruling overturning an earlier ECP decision from March. That decision had excluded the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) from claiming reserved seats due to procedural defects, redistributing those seats to other parties, including the PML-N, PPP, and JUI-F. The PTI had vehemently opposed this ruling, deeming it unconstitutional.

The controversy surrounding the reserved seats has significant implications for the political landscape. The suspension of victory notifications for 77 members of the national and provincial assemblies—44 from PML-N, 15 from PPP, 13 from JUI-F, and others—temporarily reduces the ruling coalition's strength in the lower house of Parliament.

As the ECP moves to implement the Supreme Court's decision, the political dynamics in Pakistan's legislature are poised for a shift, with PTI regaining its foothold through the reallocation of reserved seats. The broader impact of this ruling on future elections and party representations remains to be seen.
Tagged:

PTI

ECP

PakistanPolitics

ReservedSeats

ElectionCommission

PoliticalNews

SupremeCourt

MNAs
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