The Supreme Court of Pakistan made a significant decision on Monday, suspending the ruling of the Peshawar High Court regarding the reserved seats of the Sunni Ittehad Council.
During the proceedings, a three-member bench led by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, along with Justices Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Athar Minullah, heard an appeal filed in the Supreme Court concerning the SIC’s reserved seats.
At the onset of the hearing, the federal government requested the formation of a larger bench. Additional Attorney General Amir Rahman argued that only a larger bench could adequately address the appeals, although the objection was dismissed by the court.
Female assembly members nominated for reserved seats also objected to the composition of the bench. They contended that the case, involving the interpretation of Article 51 of the Constitution, should be heard by a five-member bench under the Practice and Procedure Act.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah clarified that while the case was being heard under Article 185 of the Constitution, it was not filed under Article 184/3. He emphasized that once the admissibility of the appeals was determined, a larger bench would further deliberate on the matter.
Advocate Faisal Siddiqui, representing the SIC, commenced arguments, stating that several independent winning MNAs from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had joined the SIC. Responding to queries from the bench regarding PTI’s status as a registered political party and the timeframe for independent members to join a party, Siddiqui elaborated on the process.
The court deliberated on various aspects, including the distribution of reserved seats among political parties and the protection of public mandate. There was discussion on whether a political party without an election symbol could contest elections and secure reserved seats.
After a break, the Supreme Court suspended the decision of the Peshawar High Court. The hearing was adjourned until 11:30 am, with the Election Commission of Pakistan officials summoned to provide records.
