The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday filed a contempt of court petition against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for its failure to implement the Supreme Court’s July 12 order in the reserved seats case.
The petition, filed by PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, has made all members of the ECP, including Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, respondents. It urges the court to direct the ECP to immediately implement the ruling, adding failure to do so should prompt strict action.
“The aforesaid judgment and clarifications/orders leave no doubt whatsoever that the PTI is entitled to reserved seats proportionate to the seats in the National Assembly and the provincial assemblies won by it in accordance with the Judgment dated 12 July 2024,” it states, noting the ECP has yet to accord any of the contested reserved seats to non-Muslims and women in either the National Assembly or the provincial assemblies.
The 8-5 majority verdict of the Supreme Court had ruled that the PTI was eligible for all contested reserved seats and declared it a political reality. It had nullified a Peshawar High Court ruling that had upheld the ECP’s decision denying any reserved seats to the PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).
In its ruling, the court had granted additional time to presumed PTI candidates to alter their allegiance from the SIC to the PTI. It had also denied petitioner SIC’s request to be granted reserved seats, with critics stating the order exceeded the authority of the Supreme Court and verged on rewriting the Constitution. Since the issuance of the order, the majority bench has issued two clarifications on its order, directing the ECP in both to implement the ruling forthwith. However, in light of amendments to the Elections Act, the speakers of the National Assembly and the Punjab, Balochistan and Sindh assemblies have urged the ECP to allocated reserved seats on the basis of party affiliation, as already established in Parliament.