Fawad Chaudhry hails Supreme Court ruling on reserved seats case as "a welcome relief”

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) former leader and ex-information minister Fawad Chaudhry has said that the Supreme Court's (SC) decision on the reserved seats case is a "welcome relief."

In a statement given to the New York Times on Friday, Fawad Chaudhry, who retired from "active politics" and left PTI last May, said, "At a time when Pakistan’s democracy faces severe threats and all democratic norms are being eroded, the Supreme Court’s decision is a welcome relief.”

Earlier on Friday, in what appeared to be a breakthrough for the PTI after a series of setbacks on political and judicial fronts, the Supreme Court of Pakistan set aside the Peshawar High Court (PHC) decision on reserved seats and declared 39 returned candidates as PTI’s members of National Assembly (MNAs).

“This ruling is a crucial step forward in fortifying democracy in Pakistan," added Fawad's statement given to the US-based news outlet.

The larger bench of the apex court led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa announced its short order yesterday. The decision was reached with an 8-5 split, with five judges issuing dissenting notes.

However, the majority decision of eight judges, including Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Munib Akhtar, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Ayesha A. Malik, Athar Minallah, Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Shahid Waheed and Irfan Saadat Khan was delivered by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah on the recommendation of the CJP.

The SC majority verdict overturned the Peshawar High Court judgment dated March 25 and also declared the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) order dated March 1 unconstitutional, lacking lawful authority and having no legal effect.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is now set to become the largest party in the National Assembly. The court’s ruling on Friday has also resulted in the ruling coalition losing its two-thirds majority.

According to the decision by the Supreme Court, PTI will receive 20 reserved seats for women and 4 for minorities, increasing its total representation in the National Assembly to 116 members.

This development significantly boosts PTI's presence, as the party currently has 84 members along with support from 8 independent members.

In contrast, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) holds 108 seats, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has 68 seats, making them the second and third largest parties, respectively.

The Supreme Court's ruling also affects provincial assemblies.