ISLAMABAD (PEN) : The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has filed supplementary grounds in its review petition challenging the Supreme Court’s ruling on the allocation of reserved seats to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed candidates, intensifying the legal debate around the controversial July 2024 verdict.
The case is being reviewed by an 11-member larger bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan. Other members of the bench include Justices Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Musarat Hilali, Naeem Akhtar Afghan, Hassan Azhar Rizvi, Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar, Shahid Bilal Hassan, Aamir Farooq, and Ali Baqar Najafi.
The ruling in question had allowed PTI, through its alignment with the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), to claim reserved seats in the National and Provincial Assemblies despite its candidates contesting as independents in the 2024 general elections.
PML-N’s Legal Arguments
In its latest submission, the PML-N asserted that the Supreme Court’s decision misapplied Article 187 of the Constitution, which empowers the Court to ensure complete justice in pending cases. PML-N argued that this authority was used inappropriately, as the matters addressed in the ruling were not part of the court’s official record.
“The SIC had filed an appeal with 80 members to claim reserved seats. However, as a result of the court’s decision, the SIC is now left with zero members,” PML-N’s counsel, Barrister Haris Azmat, stated.
The party also highlighted that none of the 80 members affiliated with SIC appeared before the court, and all had originally contested the elections as independents. The PML-N emphasized that SIC and PTI remain legally distinct entities.
Constitutional Concerns Raised
The petition challenged the legality of giving independent candidates a 15-day window to join a political party, arguing that the Constitution, under Article 51(6)(d), allows only a three-day period post-notification for such affiliation. “It is shocking and surprising that the said candidates have been given 15 days to join any party,” the PML-N stated, terming the decision a clear deviation from constitutional provisions.
Furthermore, the party noted that the list of 80 candidates provided by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) did not show any declared association with PTI in the relevant documentation.
Review Request and Next Steps
The PML-N has requested the apex court to recall the findings from Paragraph 106 onwards of the original detailed judgment, arguing that unilateral observations were made without factual or procedural backing.
The party also urged the court to accept the new grounds in the interest of justice and to correct what it claims are constitutional and procedural errors that affect the integrity of electoral representation.
Meanwhile, Faisal Siddiqui, representing SIC, is expected to continue presenting arguments on the maintainability of the review petitions in today’s proceedings.
The review hearing continues as political and legal stakeholders await clarity on the precedent-setting ruling regarding reserved seats in Pakistan’s legislative bodies.
