PHC stops lawmakers to take oath on reserved seats

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) Wednesday has barred lawmakers from taking oath on reserved seats until tomorrow as the matter will be sent to a larger bench.

PHC issued an order in a plea filed by the Sunni Ittehad Council against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to reject the allocation of reserved seats to the PTI-backed SIC.

READ MORE: ECP Rejects SIC plea, Reserved Seats Allocated to other political parties

The court issued a pre-admission notice to the ECP,  and the Speaker of the National Assembly and directed the Election Commission to submit its response in the case. It also halted the oath-taking of lawmakers until tomorrow, referring the case to the chief justice PHC for the formation of a larger bench.

PHC’s Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Shakeel Ahmed heard the case. If you don’t get reserved seats then will it remain empty, Justice Shakeel Ahmed said that the Election Commission says that the list will be given before the election.

PTI’s lawyer Qazi Anwar said that the notification has been made, and we want those who have been given seats not to take the oath.

 Earlier in the Peshawar High Court, the Sunni Ittehad Council had filed a petition for reserved seats in the Assembly, in which the ECP was made a party.