PTI moves IHC to challenge ECP order deferring notification on reserved seats

ISLAMABAD: The PTI has challenged the June 2 order of the Election Commission of Pakistan which has deferred the notification of new lawmakers on five reserved seats of the Punjab Assembly until the election on 20 vacant seats.

The party filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday, seeking the court’s intervention in a matter related to three women’s seats.

On June 2, the ECP had ruled that the allocation of reserved seats — three women and two minorities — would be notified after the conclusion of the by-election for 20 vacant Punjab Assembly seats scheduled on July 17.

The seats — for which the by-elections will take place — fell vacant after the ECP had de-notified 25 PTI dissident MPAs — 20 general candidates, three women, and two minority members — who had voted for PML-N’s Hamza Shahbaz against party lines during the Punjab chief minister’s election last month.

The petition, filed by PTI Secretary General Asad Umar, termed the ECP’s ruling illegal and said that it is the responsibility of the electoral body to issue a notification on reserved PA seats.

It pleaded with the IHC to direct the ECP to notify the nominees of the party on the women's seats according to the priority list without any further delay.

It requested the court to declare the ECP order null.

Speaking outside the IHC, Umar said "the law is clear" in this regard which says that the seats falling vacant will be filled as per the priority list provided by the concerned party.

He said that the law doesn’t allow deferring the notification, adding that even if the PTI lose elections on the 20 seats, the minority seats will remain with the party.

“The ECP’s ruling is strange. Hamza Shahbaz’s government is based on a flawed election.”

It is pertinent to mention that the party has already challenged the order in the Lahore High Court which has sought replies from the commission.