- Party seeks annulment of the top court’s July 12 short order and a stay on its implementation
- Govt, allies also decide to move apex court for review of ruling SIC appeals
ISLAMABAD: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Monday filed a review petition in the Supreme Court (SC), against the full court bench verdict, terming the PTI eligible for reserved seats.
The PML-N in the petition filed through Advocate Haris Azmat, contends that PTI was not a party to the original case, calling into question the basis for awarding seats to the party.
It highlights that the primary issue debated at judicial forums was whether the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) was entitled to the reserved seats, noting that PTI and Sunni Ittehad Council are separate entities.
The petition argues that the top court incorrectly treated the two parties as one and criticises the court’s provision allowing candidates 15 days to join a political party, asserting this contravenes Article 51’s sub-clauses 6D and E, which stipulate three days.
PML-N seeks the annulment of the July 12 short order and a stay on its implementation.
Earlier in the day, the federal government decided to file a review petition against the Supreme Court (SC) on Sunni Ittehad Council’s (SIC) appeal, declaring Imran Khan-founded PTI eligible for seats reserved for women and minorities.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Federal Information Minister Ata Tarar said that the government and coalition parties have decided to file review petition against the Supreme Court verdict, questioning whether those granted relief were present in court and whether the Constitution should not be implemented.
He said that the petition will also ask whether the election act 2017 sections be declared void and whether the Parliament hold the authority to interpret and amend the Constitution or not.
The minister emphasized that the government has a strong constitutional position on the matter and patience shown by government is being taken as weakness.
The presser came after a 13-member bench of the top court, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, ruled that the PTI is eligible for the allocation of reserved seats, dealing a major setback to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ruling coalition.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah announced the 8-5 majority verdict, setting aside the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) order wherein it had upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision denying the reserved seats to the SIC.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Jamal Mandokhail, Justice Naeem Afghan, Justice Yahya Afridi, and Justice Ameenuddin Khan opposed the majority decision.
The reserved seats issue came to limelight after over 80 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) backed independent candidates emerged victorious in the February 8 elections.
