Islamabad [Pakistan], March 4 : In a major setback for the already embattled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ruled that the backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), which is backed by Imran Khan-founded party, is "not eligible" for the reserved seats allotted to women and minorities, Geo News reported.
The commission's five-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja announced the split decision with a 4-1 majority.
The remaining 77 reserved seats will now be allotted to other political parties, as reported by Geo News.
The ECP said it extended the deadline to submit a priority list for the reserved seats of women, and the SIC, before the February 8 polls, did not submit the required list, which was "mandatory."
The electoral body said the SIC cannot claim the share in the reserved seats for women "due to non-curable procedural and legal defects and violations of mandatory provisions of the Constitution."
Notably, ECP Punjab member Hassan Bharwana dissented with the majority verdict, which was reserved on February 28. In the dissenting note, ECP Punjab chapter member Bharwana said he partially agreed with the majority verdict that the reserved seats cannot be allocated to SIC, as the priority list was not submitted in time.
"However, I have dissenting views with regard to the allocation of seats by way of proportional representation to the other political parties," Geo News quoted him as saying.
Meanwhile, PTI has criticised the ruling and said that it will be challenging the ECP verdict in the higher court.
Party leader Shoaib Shaheen said his party will challenge the ECP's verdict in court. "Neither the ECP's intention nor its decision is clean," he told reporters.
However, Shaheen said the PTI also reserved the right to approach the Supreme Court if it did not get relief from the high court.
Similarly, PTI Senator Ali Zafar also criticised the ECP's decision, saying the National Assembly consists of 336 seats including reserved seats for women, minorities, and general seat, Geo News reported.
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