PESHAWAR: The Awami National Party (ANP) has filed a petition challenging the Election Commission’s decision regarding the allocation of reserved seats in the provincial assembly, claiming that the party has been unfairly deprived of its rightful representation.
The petition, submitted through Advocate Babar Khan Yousafzai, states that the Election Commission did not allocate the reserved seats by law and the current representation of the party in the assembly. According to the ANP, the party initially won one seat in the general elections, based on which it was allotted one reserved seat for women.
However, following the victory of ANP candidate Nisar Baz in the Bajaur by-election, the party’s total strength in the provincial assembly has increased to two seats. The petition argues that, in light of this development, the ANP is now entitled to two reserved seats instead of just one.
The party maintains that despite raising this issue with the Election Commission, no hearing has been held and no appropriate action has been taken. As a result, the ANP has now approached the relevant court to seek justice.
The petition names both the Election Commission of Pakistan and the Speaker of the Provincial Assembly as respondents in the case. The ANP is seeking a directive from the court to ensure that the party is granted its fair share of reserved seats in line with its updated strength in the assembly.
The ECP, however, has not updated the reserved seat distribution, likely because such allocations are typically based on general election results alone, not by-elections. This legal point has prompted the ANP to file a formal petition through its lawyer, contending that the current reserved seat count does not reflect the party’s actual strength in the assembly anymore.
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