PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has filed a petition in the Peshawar High Court challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) allocation of reserved seats in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.
The petition was submitted through Barrister Saqib Raza on behalf of the PML-N, contesting what the party terms a disproportionate and unfair distribution of reserved seats for women and minorities following the 2024 general elections.
According to the petition, the PML-N currently holds seven seats in the KP Assembly. The party argues that based on its position, it should have received a greater number of reserved seats. However, the Election Commission has allocated only eight reserved seats to the PML-N.
In contrast, the petition states that Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) was awarded ten reserved seats despite holding only seven general seats in the assembly, which the PML-N claims is a violation of proportional representation principles.
The PML-N further clarified in the petition that the party originally secured six general seats in the province, but was later joined by an independent MPA, who formally joined the party within three days of the elections, bringing their total to seven seats.
The petition requests the court to declare the Election Commission’s notification regarding reserved seat allocations null and void, arguing that it undermines the party’s rightful share based on its representation in the assembly. It also calls on the court to issue directives for the reallocation of reserved seats in a manner that reflects the actual strength of each political party in the assembly.
In a significant development, the PML-N has asked the court to restrain all concerned parties from taking oath on the disputed reserved seats until a final decision is made in the case.The court is expected to review the petition in the coming days as political tensions continue to rise over the handling of reserved seat allocations.
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