PPP files review petition on SC reserved seats’ judgment

ISLAMABAD:  Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) filed a review petition against the Supreme Court's July 12 verdict on reserved seats allotted to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) after the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had filed review plea. On behalf of the PPP, Lawyer Farooq H. Naek filed a review appeal in the Supreme Court, in which 11 persons, including Hamid Raza, the Election Commission of Pakistan and the Sunni Ittehad Council, have been made parties. In PPP's appeal, it has been argued that the Chairman Sunni Ittehad Council Hamid Raza participated in the elections as an independent candidate, if no one from the SIC contested the election, reserved seats cannot be given. It has been said in the appeal that PTI did not file an application, neither became a party. The PTI cannot be given reserved seats and PTI has been given seats without asking. The People's Party raised the question whether specific seats can be left vacant or given to a party that has contested the elections. “Can specific seats be given to a party whose candidate has not won a national or provincial seat”. In its review appeal, the PPP has requested to withdraw the July 12 judgment on reserved seats. It should be noted that earlier, PML-N has filed an appeal to review the decision on specific seats, while no decision has been taken by the government in this regard. On July 12, the Supreme Court upheld the petition of the Sunni Ittehad Council regarding the reserved seats and annulled the decision of the ECP and the Peshawar High Court. [embedpost slug="sc-declares-pti-eligible-for-reserved-seats"] The court has ordered to give reserved seats for women and minorities to PTI.