SC verdict, Election Act amendment leave ECP confused over reserve seats

The Supreme Court verdict and amendment of the Election Act have left the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) confused over the allocation of reserve seats in the National Assembly, said sources on Tuesday.

According to the sources, the ECP has expressed acute reaction over the SC verdict which ordered the allocation of reserve seats to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The SC termed the ECP’s March 1 decision annulled and described rule 94 of the Election Act against sections 51 (6) and 106 of the constitution of Pakistan and ordered to allot seats to PTI and accept its legal status as a political party.

However, a letter was written by the National Assembly speaker to the ECP on September 19, directing the commission to allocate reserve seats in accordance with the amended election act, as it has been effective since 2017.

Subsequently, the ECP sources believe that the legal battle between the parliament and the judiciary has made them “disabled” from following legal procedures for allocating reserve seats.

“The ruling of the Supreme Court of Pakistan has made the election act dysfunctional, under which law the seat has been allocated,” sources quoted the ECP.