PTI is entitled to reserved seats, rules SC

In its much-awaited verdict, the Supreme Court on Friday ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to allocate reserved seats for women and minorities to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the National and Provincial assemblies.

However, the verdict directed Imran Khan's party to submit the list of candidates to the election body within 15 days.

The 13-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, announced the verdict with 8-5 majority.

Justice Mansoor Ali Shah read the verdict in the apex court, which was supported by Justice Shahid Waheed, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Ayesha Malik, Justice Syed Hassan Azhar Rizvi, Muneeb Akhtar and Justice Irfan Saadat Khan.

The verdict declared the Peshawar High Court's (PHC) decision to uphold ECP's order to deny the reserved seats to the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) "null and void".

“Withdrawal of election symbol cannot disqualify a political party from elections,” the court said in its verdict. 

“The PTI was and is a political party,” Justice Mansoor Ali Shah said.

In April, the SIC filed a petition in the apex court seeking to set aside the PHC judgment.

The SIC, In its petition, said that 70 reserved seats, which were allotted to the ruling coalition, be reallocated to the PTI-backed alliance.

"PTI is entitled to [the] reserved seats," CJP Isa said while reading the verdict.

A short order of the verdict will be released by the court shortly.