ECP clarifies stance on SC's decision to allocate reserved seats to PTI

Commission says it never declared PTI as a non-political entity, finds court's decision incomprehensible

Following the Supreme Court's decision to allocate reserved seats to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has stated that it never declared PTI as a non-political entity but found the Supreme Court's (SC) decision to award reserved seats to PTI incomprehensible.

In a detailed statement issued on Friday, the ECP affirmed that PTI is a registered political party and its name is listed among registered political parties on the ECP's official website. The commission emphasised that it has not misinterpreted any decision.

However, it maintained that PTI's intra-party elections were not conducted properly, leading PTI to seek relief from various forums against the ECP's ruling.

The ECP recalled that the commission had invalidated PTI's intra-party elections, resulting in the withdrawal of their election symbol under Section 215 of the Elections Act.

The statement clarified that the 39 assembly members, whom the SC declared as PTI members, had not filed their nomination papers through PTI.

Also Read: PTI eligible for reserved seats, ECP's allocation to ruling coalition unconstitutional: SC

Therefore, the Returning Officers could not consider them as PTI candidates since they did not submit the necessary party tickets and declarations, the commission noted.

Furthermore, the ECP highlighted that 41 candidates did not mention PTI in their nomination papers or submit party tickets, thus participating in the elections as independents.

These members joined the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) within three days after winning the elections, making it legally untenable to categorise them as independent candidates post-election, it added.

The ECP reiterated that the SIC had appealed against the ECP and Peshawar High Court's (PHC) decisions in the SC, but their appeal was dismissed.

The statement concluded by expressing bewilderment at the Supreme Court's allocation of reserved seats to PTI, noting that PTI was neither a party in the case before the ECP nor in the appeals before the PHC and the SC.