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Tuesday, 5 March, 2024 I 23 Sha’ban, 1445
Rs 50.00 | Vol XIV No 247 I 36 Pages I Islamabad Edition
ECP rEjECTs PTI-BACkEd sIC’s PlEA sEEkIng rEsErvEd sEATs In nA MAJOR BLOW
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4-1 VERDICT DECLARES SIC ‘NOT ENTITLED’ TO RESERVED SEATS
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ISLAMABAD
PTI VOWS TO CHALLENGE ECP’S VERDICT ON RESERVED SEATS
MIAN ABRAR
HE Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday rejected the application of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) for reserved seats for women and minorities in the National Assembly. The SIC, a party backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), sought these seats through an application that stirred controversy and led to a prolonged deliberation by the electoral body. A five-member bench, presided over by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, reached a 4-1 verdict, declaring that the Sunni Ittehad Council is not entitled to reserved seats in the National Assembly. ECP member Babar Hassan Bharwana dissented from the judgment in an additional note. The ECP maintained that these seats would be distributed among other political parties based on their proportional representation. The commission emphasised that reserved seats in the assemblies cannot be left vacant. However, it’s worth noting that ECP Punjab member Babar Hassan Bharwana dissented from the majority decision, expressing disagreement with the allocation of reserved seats to other political parties. In the order issued today, a copy of which is available with daily Pakistan Today, the electoral watchdog said it had given a deadline of Dec 22 for the submission of nomination papers by political parties for reserved seats. It said the deadline was later extended till Dec 24. “The records revealed that the SIC did not submit priority list for the reserved seats for women and non-Muslims,” it noted, highlighting that the party requested the commission for the allocation of seats via four letters after PTIbacked independents joined it. The ECP further stated that the SIC did not contest elections for any seat in the national or provincial assemblies and even the party chairman, Sahibzada Hamid Raza, contested the polls as an independent candidate. “In Article 51 of the Constitution it is clear that political parties that have representation in the National Assembly by way of winning seats would be eligi-
ble for the allocation of reserved seats for women and non-Muslims through proportional representation system,” the commission said. It also cited Section 104 of the Elections Act, 2017 which says: “For the purpose of election to seats reserved for women and non-Muslims in an Assembly, the political parties contesting election for such seats shall, within the period fixed by the Commission for submission of nomination papers, file separate lists of their candidates in order of priority for seats reserved for women and non-Muslims with the Commission or, as it may direct, with the Provincial Election Commissioner or other authorized officer of the Commission, who shall forthwith cause such lists to be published for information of the public.” “Therefore, the commission is of the view that in light of clear provisions of Article 51(6) of the Constitution read with Section 104 of the Elections Act, 2017 […] SIC is not entitled to claim quota for reserved seats due to having non curable legal defects and violation of a mandatory provision of submission of party list for reserved seats which is the requirement of law,” the ECP order said. It rejected the SIC’s petition and accepted pleas against the allocation of reserved seats to the council. “The seats in the National Assembly shall not remain vacant and will be allotted by proportional representation process of political parties on the basis of
Asif Ali Zardari ‘seeks’ MQM-P’s support for presidential election ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
seats won by political parties,” the order said and directed the office to calculate the quota of reserved seats accordingly. DISSENTING NOTE: Meanwhile, in his dissent note, ECP member Babar Hassan Bharwana said that he “partially” agreed with the other members of the bench that reserved seats cannot be allotted to the SIC as the party had failed to submit priority lists in time. “However, I have dissenting views with regard to the allocation of seats by way of proportional representation to the other political parties. “In my opinion, Article 51(6-d) and Article 106(3-c) of the Constitution clearly state that reserved seats will be allocated to the political parties on the basis of total number of general seats secured by each political party from the province concerned in the National Assembly or such reserved seats secured by each political party in the Provincial Assembly,” he said. Bharwana added that the seats should therefore remain vacant till the time any such amendment in Article 51 or 106 of the Constitution was made by the Parliament. The controversy surrounding the allocation of reserved seats for the SIC intensified after a ‘merger’ with the PTI for this specific purpose. The ECP faced criticism for delaying a verdict, leaving the matter unresolved as the National Assembly convened its maiden sitting last week. The PTI had previously announced its intention to escalate the matter to the
Supreme Court if the reserved seats were allocated to other parties. The controversy took another turn last week when the ECP revealed that SIC Chairman Hamid Raza had allegedly written a letter refusing to accept the reserved seats. Raza vehemently denied this claim, adding a layer of confusion and intrigue to an already complex situation. The rejection of the SIC’s application by the ECP has added fuel to the ongoing debate about the impartiality and transparency of the electoral process in the country. PTI TO CHALLENGE ECP VERDICT ON RESERVED SEATS Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday decided to challenge the decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in the Supreme Court, which denied reserved seats for women and minorities to the Sunni Ittehad Council in the National Assembly. The SIC, a party backed by the(PTI, sought these seats through an application that stirred controversy and led to a prolonged deliberation by the electoral body. A five-member bench, presided over by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, reached a 4-1 verdict, declaring that the Sunni Ittehad Council is not entitled to reserved seats in the National Assembly. The ECP maintained that these seats would be distributed among other political parties based on their proportional representation. The commission emphasised that reserved seats in the assemblies cannot be left vacant. In his address during a Senate session following the verdict, PTI’s Barrister Ali Zafar said that the ECP’s decision is a stab in the back of democracy. He emphasised that it is the responsibility of the National Assembly and provincial assemblies to elect senators, the president, the prime minister, and the chairman Senate, and incomplete assemblies cannot fulfil these elections. He said that Section 6 (D) of the Constitution’s Article 51 mentions that political parties will be allocated reserve seats based on their success ratio. He highlighted that according to the Constitution, if an independent candidate joins a political party, that party is entitled to reserve seats, adding that SIC should have been allotted 29 seats in NA.
Shehbaz Sharif takes oath as country’s 24th premier ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman and nominee for president, Asif Ali Zardari ‘sought’ Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s (MQM-P) support for the presidential election. According to the ECP schedule, polling for the presidential election will be held on March 9 from 10 am to 4 pm. The nomination papers’ scrutiny is being held on March 4, whereas the final list of candidates for the presidential elections will be displayed on March 5 at 1:00 pm. Sources privy to the development said, Asif Ali Zardari telephoned MQM-P’s Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, a day earlier, to seek his party’s vote in the presidential election. Siddiqui said he will respond after consultation with the party, the sources said. Meanwhile, it is also being said PPP delegation will meet MQM-P soon to seek support. Separately, Asif Ali Zardari’s nomination papers for the presidential elections were approved as no objection was raised over his nomination. “We have required numbers to win the election, Asif Zardari will be elected the president again,” Farooq H. Naik said. Earlier, the lawyers of Asif Ali Zardari and Sunni Ittehad Council’s presidential candidate Mehmood Khan Achakzai reached the election commission for scrutiny of presidential nomination papers.
President Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shehbaz Sharif took was sworn in as 24th prime minister of the country here on Monday. President Dr Arif Alvi administered the oath to the newlyelected prime minister in a ceremony held at President’s House Islamabad. Several dignitaries including Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir attended the ceremony. The oath taking ceremony also witnessed the presence of leaders of the country’s mainstream political parties such as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Mutahidda Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), among others. Present in the ceremony were PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, PPP Chairman Bilawal
Bhutto Zardari, Chief Ministers of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan — Maryam Nawaz, Murad Ali Shah and Sarfraz Bugti. Ambassadors and diplomats from different countries were also present at the venue. Following the oath-taking ceremony, the prime minister was presented with a guard of honour. Shehbaz Sharif was elected as the prime minister on Sunday, retaining the title after his 16-
month-long stint in the top coveted position from April 2022 to August 2023. This is the second time that Shehbaz will serve the nation as the premier after receiving 201 votes against his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) opponent Omar Ayub Khan who got 92 votes in a ruckus-marred session of the Parliament’s lower house.
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Bilawal endorses PTI’s call for judicial inquiry into May 9 riots irfan.farooq@pakistantoday.com.pk
ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
During his inaugural address at a session of the recently convened National Assembly, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari voiced his support on Monday for the PTI’s proposal for a judicial investigation into the May 9 riots. He made these comments in relation to the recent suggestion by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur to establish a judicial commission to examine the tumultuous demonstrations that ensued nationwide following the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan on May 9 last year. “I call upon the chief justice Supreme Court of Pakistan (Justice Qaez Faiz Isa) to fo rm [a judicial commission] and see who are the beneficiaries [of May 9],” Gandapur had said in a fiery speech after being elected the chief executive of KP. Speaking on the floor of the lower house of the Parliament today, Bilawal said he endorsed Gandapur’s demand. But at the same time, he stated that the result should be accepted by everyone, including the Imran-led party. “It is not possible that someone attacks our institution and the memorial of our martyrs and we forget it,” the ex-foreign minister said. “We cannot take our politics forward unless we address this issue and this is why the PPP appeals to the prime minister to form a judicial commission […] Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa should form the commission,” he added. Bilawal went on to say that an extensive investigation into the May 9 events would bring clarity. “I will call for the punishment [of those proven guilty] and I will call for the release [of those who are innocent],” he said. The PPP leader also extended support to the PTI regarding the latter’s demand for a probe into election irregularities. In his hour-long speech — which was disrupted by noisy protests from the opposition benches — the PPP leader backed PM Shehbaz Sharif’s call for a charter of national reconciliation. “Not only do we endorse it but also appeal to our friends from the opposition that they take part in this process,” said Bilawal. He also congratulated the newly elected chief ministers of all four provinces and highlighted the need for them to play their role to save Pakistan’s “democracy and economy”. Pointing toward the opposition, he said: “The people of Pakistan are tired of poverty, unemployment and inflation […] they did not give you their vote for you to come here and abuse each other and create a ruckus.” Bilawal further stated that Pakistan was in dire need of judicial and electoral reforms, expressing his party’s willingness to partake in conversations regarding the same. Meanwhile, PTI-backed lawmaker Asad Qaiser asserted that neither his leader Imran Khan nor the party would “bow down”. In an impassioned speech on the floor of the house, he said: “I want to make this clear; that time of fear has passed. We have come out of all situations headstrong.” Qaiser also demanded that the Supreme Court constitute a judicial commission on the cipher controversy, which is at the heart of the PTI’s allegation of foreign involvement in the party’s ouster. “Our party’s stance on it is clear; that the Supreme Court constitutes a judicial commission,” he said, lamenting that cipher was used as the basis of Imran’s conviction and subsequent punishment. Qaiser further stated that a judicial commission should be formed to probe allegations of rigging in the Feb 8 polls. “We want to invite all those parties that have concerns about these elections, whether they are Balochistan’s political parties or Sindh’s or Punjab or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s. “We will bring everyone together for the Constitution’s supremacy, for an independent judiciary, for civilian supremacy,” the PTI leader added.
Zardari, Achakzai’s nomination papers for presidential election accepted ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday accepted the nomination papers of Asif Ali Zardari and Mahmood Khan Achakzai for the upcoming presidential elections. Both leaders submitted their papers over the weekend for the polls that are slated to be held on March 9. Zardari is the nominee of the allied parties while Achakzai is the PTI’s pick for the coveted post. PPP leader Farooq H. Naek, who went to the commission’s office for scrutiny of the nomination papers, said that nobody raised any objection to Asif Zardari’s candidature. Later speaking to the media, Naek said that Asif Zardari enjoyed the support of re-
quired number of national and provincial lawmakers and expressed the optimism that he would go on to become the country’s president for the second time. The odds are in favour of Asif Zardari despite Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) strong candidate against the PPP leader. The SIC had nominated veteran politician from Balochistan, Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) President Mahmood Khan Achakzai, as their candidate for the presidential election. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) election winners had now joined the SIC. Though the numbers are in favour of former president Asif Zardari but the mere nomination of the seasoned Baloch politician has turned the race quite interesting.
PTI founder chairman Imran Khan has endorsed Mahmood Khan Achakzai as their nominee for the constitutional petition. On March 5, candidates successfully nominated will be able to retrieve their papers, and the ECP will simultaneously release the final list of presidential contenders. Voting for the presidential election is scheduled to take place on March 9 at the Parliament House and the four provincial assemblies. The chief justices of the high courts will serve as the presiding officers for the presidential election. IHC Chief Justice Amer Farooq has assumed the role of presiding officer at the Parliament House in Islamabad for the upcoming election. It is pertinent to note that Achakzai won the National Assembly seat from NA-266 in Chaman.