Featured

Election Commission of Pakistan decides to implement the decision of the Supreme Court on reserved seats

ISLAMABAD, July 19 (SABAH): The Election Commission of Pakistan has decided to implement the decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on reserved seats.

The decision was taken in a meeting of the Election Commission of Pakistan held in Islamabad on Friday.

The legal team of the Commission has also been directed to identify any point, which is a hurdle in implementation of the verdict, in order to approach the Supreme Court of Pakistan for further guidance.

The Commission strongly condemned and rejected a consistent and unwanted criticism against the Chief Election Commissioner and other members of the Commission.

It also termed the demand of a political party from the Commission members to tender resignation as ridiculous saying that the Commission would continue to work as per the law and the constitution while setting aside any pressure.

Similarly, the Commission also did not misinterpret any verdict of the Supreme Court. The Election Commission did not validate the intra party elections of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and withdrew the symbol of Bat from PTI as logical consequences under Article 215 of the Election Act.

The Election Commission further said the 39 MNAs, who were declared as the PTI MNAs, have shown their affiliation with PTI in their nomination papers. It is mandatory to submit party ticket and declaration by the candidate to prove their candidacy to a certain political party, which were not submitted by these members. Hence, it was not possible for the Returning Officers to declare these candidates as the PTI candidates.

Moreover, the candidates who have been declared as independents neither mentioned their party nor their affiliation with any political party in their nomination papers.

So, the Returning Officers allowed them to contest elections as independent candidates who later joined Sunni Ittehad Council under the law after securing victory in the elections.

Later, the Sunni Ittehad Council filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the decisions of Peshawar High Court and the Election Commission of Pakistan which was rejected by the apex court. With regard to this case, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was not a party in the Election Commission, Peshawar High Court and in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.