KARACHI – The Sindh High Court (SHC) granted acceptance to a petition submitted by the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) aiming to secure the allocation of reserved seats for women and minorities in the province.
The petition, filed by the SIC and supported by independent candidates affiliated with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) who emerged victorious in the February 8 general elections, was lodged today.
Acknowledging the significance of the matter, the court promptly approved the PTI-backed party’s request for an expedited hearing of the petition.
On March 4, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) declared that the PTI-backed SIC was ineligible for the reserved seats designated for women and minorities.
In response to the electoral body’s decision, the party turned to the Peshawar High Court (PHC) to challenge the matter of reserved seats.
On Wednesday, the court halted the swearing-in of lawmakers designated to reserved seats that were denied to the SIC. Additionally, a stay order preventing members from taking their oaths was issued, and the ECP was directed to present its response regarding the matter.
The following day, the PHC extended the stay order on the oath-taking ceremony of lawmakers and summoned Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan to appear before the court at the next hearing.
Simultaneously, the SIC approached the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday against the ECP’s decision to withhold reserved seats in Punjab.
