ECP meeting yields no decision on PTI reserved seats

ISLAMABAD:

A key consultative meeting by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on whether to grant PTI reserved seats in parliament, as per the Supreme Court's July 12 ruling, ended without bearing any fruit on Friday.

The meeting, which was expected to make significant progress, failed to reach a decision due to the absence of a member from Punjab.

The meeting, held at the ECP headquarters, included the secretary of the National Assembly. There were high expectations that the session would clarify the allocation of reserved seats—whether they would go to the ruling coalition or to the PTI, in accordance with a Supreme Court ruling.

The National Assembly secretary attended the important meeting, but the anticipated resolution on the reserved seats did not materialise. The outcome was expected to shed light on whether the ruling coalition would retain these seats or if they would be allocated to the PTI, based on the court's decision.

The government and its allied parties had summoned their notified members in Islamabad in anticipation of a potential ruling. Meanwhile, the speaker of the National Assembly had written to the ECP, requesting that the reserved seats be allocated to other parties.

It's important to note that the ECP has already suspended members holding additional reserved seats following the Supreme Court's decision. Should the commission decide to award these seats to the ruling coalition and JUI-F, they could secure a two-thirds majority in parliament.

Additionally, the ECP has filed a review petition regarding the SC ruling on reserved seats, adding another layer of complexity to the issue.

It is pertinent to note that the apex court clarified on Friday that amendments to election laws cannot retroactively alter its verdict in the reserved seats case.