ECP restores 74 reserved seats across national, provincial assemblies

Previous cancellation of PTI candidates’ return on reserved seats rendered void

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The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) restored on Wednesday all reserved seats in the National Assembly and four provincial assemblies, in line with Supreme Court's recent decision. 

According to a notification issued by the ECP, the commission has reinstated a total of 74 reserved seats:

• 19 seats in the National Assembly

• 25 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly

• 27 in Punjab Assembly

• 3 in Sindh Assembly

The move effectively nullifies earlier notifications that had de-notified candidates elected on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) ticket. The ECP has withdrawn its earlier notifications dated July 24 and July 29, 2024.

The decision comes in compliance with the Supreme Court's June 27, 2025 ruling, which addressed review petitions related to the allocation of reserved seats.

As a result, the previous cancellation of PTI candidates’ returns on reserved seats has been rendered void.

SC overturns PTI’s claim to reserved seats

The Supreme Court overturned a 2024 judgment that had allowed PTI to claim reserved seats in national and provincial legislatures.

Read: PTI loses court battle for reserved seats

The order issued by a 10-member constitutional bench allowed multiple review petitions filed by the ruling coalition and dismissed its earlier decision that had recognised PTI, through its alliance with the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), as eligible for reserved seats.

With a majority of seven judges the top court ruled in favour of the review, effectively annulling the apex court's July 12, 2024, verdict. That judgment had previously restored PTI’s status as a parliamentary party and ordered the ECP to allocate reserved seats for women and minorities.

Following the new decision, nearly 80 reserved seats in national and provincial assemblies will be reallocated among other parliamentary parties, excluding the SIC. The move gives the ruling coalition a two-thirds majority in parliament.

Justice Salahuddin Panhwar recused himself from the case, while Justices Ayesha Malik and Aqeel Abbasi had dismissed the review petitions at the start of hearings. Justice Jamal Mandokhail partially accepted the petitions, maintaining SIC’s claim over 39 seats but reversing the award of 41 others. Two more justices called for a fresh review by the ECP of the 80 candidates’ affiliations.

The court order did not elaborate on how the seats would now be distributed or provide detailed reasoning, which is expected later.

PTI had earlier lost its election symbol due to a dispute over intra-party polls, forcing most of its candidates to contest February’s general elections as independents. After the polls, they joined SIC in a bid to reclaim reserved seats, a move rejected by the ECP and now upheld by the court.

The ruling effectively blocks PTI’s return to parliament through the reserved quota and raises questions about the stability of its government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

PTI and SIC leaders have vowed to challenge the decision at all forums.