ECP calls meeting to discuss SC decision on reserved seats

Islamabad: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)  called a meeting to discuss the Supreme Court's verdict on reserved seats, the close familiar with the development said on Tuesday (today).

The ECP meeting on July 18 will explore options for implementing the Supreme Court's decision regarding SIC reserved seats.

 The Secretary of the ECP and legal officials will brief the commission.

A 13-member bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, determined that the PTI is eligible for reserved seats, a significant blow to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's ruling coalition.

Justice Mansoor Ali Shah delivered the 8-5 majority verdict, overturning the Peshawar High Court's decision which had upheld the ECP's denial of reserved seats to the SIC.

Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Jamal Mandokhail, Justice Naeem Afghan, Justice Yahya Afridi, and Justice Ameenuddin Khan dissented from the majority decision.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has filed a review petition against the Supreme Court's ruling that declared PTI eligible for reserved seats. The PML-N's petition in the apex court seeks to overturn the July 12 order.

The PML-N argued in its appeal that PTI was not involved in the original case, which was brought to the Supreme Court by the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC). The PML-N claims that awarding reserved seats to PTI based on the SIC's petition violates the law.

In its petition, the PML-N has named the SIC and the Election Commission of Pakistan as respondents.