ISLAMABAD
\nIn a fix over how to proceed on Supreme Court\u2019s detailed verdict in the reserved seats case after the newly-enacted Election Act Amendment Bill 2024, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has submitted two more petitions in the apex court, seeking stay on its July 12 order.
\nIn its 70-page detailed judgment issued on Sept 23, the apex court termed the PTI \u201ca political party\u201d and eligible for the seats\u2019 reserved for women and minorities.
\nThe electoral watchdog, a day earlier, approached the top court to seek its guidance whether to follow amended Election Act 2017 or its judgment on the matter of allocating reserved seats to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
\nThe ECP mentioned the National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq\u2019s letter stating that amendments were made to the Election Act after the top court\u2019s verdict declaring the opposition party eligible for the reserved seats.
\nSpeaker Sadiq had told the ECP in his letter that the apex court\u2019s July 12 ruling was \u201cincapable of implementation\u201d after the amendments to Election Act 2017.
\nBesides civil miscellaneous petition, the Election Commission also filed two other petitions for review concerning the \u2018clarification order\u2019 and seeking stay with regard to the July 12 order\u2019s implementation till the pleas were decided, it emerged on Friday (today).
\nThrough the petitions, the commission sought SC\u2019s guidance with respect to the effect of the Elections (Second) Amendment Act, 2024 on the short order of the apex court of July 12, clarification order dated Sept 14 and detailed judgment dated Sept 23 in the interest of justice.
\nThe ECP, in its petition, noted the apex court\u2019s reserved seats verdict was based on \u201cassumptions\u201d, adding: \u201cIt cannot rewrite the Constitution on pretext of interpretation.\u201d
\n\u201cThe Supreme Court in its detailed judgment dated Sept 23, 2024, deviated from [the] July 12 verdict,\u201d it said, noting that the court in the detailed order declared the 41 returned candidates as the members of the former ruling party.
\nThe ECP pointed out that the Constitution binds independent lawmakers to join any political party within three days, but \u201cthe Supreme Court granted them 15 days \u2014 a move which changed the words of the Constitution\u201d.
\nThe independent candidates submitted affidavits of allegiance to Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), which the body says, was \u201ccompletely ignored\u201d in the court\u2019s ruling.
\n\u201cEven if the certificates, submitted by PTI Chairman [Barrister Gohar Ali Khan], are recognised or accepted, the number of PTI members does not reach 39,\u201d the ECP said, adding that the candidates did not submit party affiliation certificates under Section 66 of the Election Act.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD In a fix over how to proceed on Supreme Court\u2019s detailed verdict in the reserved seats case after the newly-enacted Election Act Amendment Bill 2024, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has submitted two more petitions in the apex court, seeking stay on its July 12 order. In its 70-page detailed judgment issued on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-433891","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n