2024-09-24 04:31:40
Islamabad: Pakistan’s apex court on Monday issued its detailed verdict on its July 12 order in the reserved seats case and said the country’s Election Commission failed to perform its duties in accordance with law in the February 8 general elections. The court’s majority order had declared jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) eligible for over 20 seats reserved for women and minorities, in a major setback for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz-led ruling coalition.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah wrote the 70-page judgment. The bench delivered the major verdict two months after it passed a short judgment on a petition by the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), which had challenged the rulings against its eligibility for the reserved seat. Several candidates backed by Khan’s party had contested and won as independent candidates after being denied their election symbols for the February 8 polls. They had then joined the Sunni Ittehad Council.
The organisation is a political alliance of Islamic political and Barelvi religious parties in Pakistan, to form a coalition of convenience. The SIC had challenged the Peshawar High Court’s decision upholding the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision not to give a share in the reserved seats.
What decision did the chief justice give
A full bench headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa delivered an 8:5 majority verdict. Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Aminuddin Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan dissented from the verdict, stressing the importance of proportional representation. In a detailed judgment, Justice Shah set aside the election commission’s initial decision to reject the SIC’s application for a reserved seat and also overturned the Peshawar High Court’s decision that had upheld the commission’s decision.
Court got angry on Pakistan Election Commission
Justice Shah is set to become the Chief Justice at the end of next month. “Unfortunately, the circumstances of the present case show that the Commission has failed to play its role in holding the 2024 general elections,” the detailed verdict said. The apex court also criticised the election commission for not recognising the PTI as a party to contest the elections and nominate its candidates. The verdict confirmed that Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is a parliamentary party and hence eligible for seats reserved for women and minorities in Parliament.