NA speaker demands ECP to allocate reserved seats under amended Election Act

Islamabad: National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Thursday demanded the allocation of reserved seats under the amended Election Act.

In a letter, written to Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja regarding the reserved seats Sadiq stated that he wished to address the important issue of the sanctity and autonomy of the Parliament.

“It is essential to follow parliamentary principles to maintain the autonomy and dignity of the parliamentary system,” he said.

He wrote that an independent member who joins a political party cannot switch parties under the amended Election Act. The amended Election Act has been applied retroactively from 2017, and implementing it is the constitutional and legal responsibility of the Election Commission.

In the letter, the Sadiq also referenced the Supreme Court's decision regarding the case on reserved seats.