ECP decides to implement Supreme Court’s reserved seats verdict

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced its willingness to implement the Supreme Court’s verdict regarding the allocation of reserved seats to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) announced its verdict in the reserved seats case declaring the party eligible for the allocation of reserved seats. The full court bench, by a majority of 8, set aside the Peshawar High Court’s judgment of March 25 and declared the ECP order of March 1 null and void.

In a statement issued after a meeting, the electoral watchdog said that the legal team of the Election Commission has been instructed to point out any possible hurdles in the implementation of the decision so the SC can be approached immediately for further guidance.

ECP condemned and rejected the continuous and unnecessary criticism of the Chief Election Commissioner and members of the Election Commission by a political party, the statement added. The statement quoted that the demand for resignation from the commission [CEC and members] is ridiculous.

Moreover, the ECP stated that 39 MNAs who had been declared as PTI MNAs had shown their affiliation with PTI in their nomination papers, while to be a candidate of any party, it is necessary to submit the party ticket and declaration to the returning officer (RO).

But in the case of the said MNAs, these documents were not submitted to the ROs; therefore the ROs couldn’t declare them PTI candidates, it added.

Moreover, the statement added, “the 41 candidates who had been declared independents hadn’t mentioned PTI in their nomination papers neither they disclosed their affiliation with the party nor submitted the ticket of any party.”

“Therefore, the Returning Officers (ROs) allowed them to contest the election in an independent capacity. Later, these MNAs voluntarily joined the Sunni Etihad Council (SIC) within three days as required by law after winning the election,” the statement read.