Supreme Court rejects plea to raise minority seats in parliament

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition seeking to increase the seats of minorities in the national and provincial assemblies and held that it is the job of the Parliament to make legislation in this regard, holding that it cannot direct the Parliament to do so.

A two-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Ijazul Ahsan upheld the decision of the Lahore High Court and dismissed the petition. During the hearing, the counsel for the petitioner submitted before the court that with the massive increase of population in the country and keeping in view the increase in the ratio of the population, the seats of minorities should also be increased in the national and provincial assemblies. He prayed to the apex court to direct the Parliament to increase the representation of minorities.

Justice Ijazul Ahsan, however, observed that the increase in seats of Parliament is linked with an amendment to the constitution and the court is not authorized to direct the Parliament for the constitutional amendment. “How could the court say that the Parliament should increase the seats of minorities”, Justice Ijazul Ahsan remarked and dismissed the petition after upholding the decision of Lahore High Court.