ISLAMABAD – The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday reserved its decision in a crucial case concerning the allocation of reserved seats in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. The hearing was conducted by a five-member bench led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja.
During the proceedings, lawyers from major political parties — including the PML-N, PPP, JUI-F, ANP, and PTI Parliamentarians — presented their arguments. The issue revolves around how the reserved seats for women and minorities should be distributed following both the general elections and subsequent by-polls in the province.
PPP’s lawyer, Nayyar Bukhari, clarified that his party had no direct conflict in the matter, noting that the dispute mainly lies between the PML-N and JUI-F. He added that PPP neither filed a petition nor made any claims, hence they are not a party to the issue. On the other hand, ANP’s lawyer stressed that the allocation must consider the updated post-by-election scenario, where ANP had secured a general seat and expects a fair share of reserved seats accordingly.
PTI Parliamentarians’ lawyer argued that reserved seats must strictly correspond to the number of general seats won by a party. He raised concerns that two of their members were being counted as one, which he claimed unfairly deprived them of an additional reserved seat. He further insisted that reserved seats, once awarded, cannot be withdrawn even if a party’s general seats decrease in by-elections.
Additionally, Member Sindh Nisar Durrani questioned whether a party’s reserved seat entitlement should be affected by post-election changes in seat count. In response, PTI-P’s lawyer asserted that reserved seats are finalized based on the original electoral results and should remain unchanged regardless of later developments.
The CEC noted that two phases of notifications had already been issued regarding reserved seats. However, the matter related to the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) remained unresolved. After hearing detailed arguments from all involved parties, the ECP reserved its judgment, which is expected to play a decisive role in shaping the future composition of the KP Assembly.