Supreme Court declares PTI eligible for reserved seats

The Supreme Court of Pakistan announced an 8-5 majority verdict in favor of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), an ally of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), overturning the Peshawar High Court’s decision and the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) allocation of reserved seats to the ruling coalition. 

 Key Points of the Verdict:
- **Verdict Majority**: 
  - Justices Athar Minallah, Shahid Waheed, Muneeb Akhtar, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Ayesha Malik, Syed Hassan Azhar Rizvi, and Irfan Saadat Khan ruled in favor of the SIC and PTI.
  
- **Court's Ruling**:
  - The ECP’s decision of denying reserved seats to the SIC was declared unconstitutional.
  - The PTI is recognized as a political party, and the court has directed the PTI to submit its list of candidates for the reserved seats to the ECP within 15 days.
  - PTI-backed candidates cannot be considered independent or representatives of any other party.

 Background:
- **Initial Setback**:
  - Over 80 PTI-backed independent candidates won in the February 8 elections.
  - The SIC approached the ECP on February 21 for the allocation of reserved seats.
  - The ECP denied the allocation due to PTI’s failure to submit the candidates list on time, distributing the seats among other parties.

- **Subsequent Legal Battle**:
  - The SIC appealed to the Peshawar High Court, which upheld the ECP’s decision.
  - The SIC then took the case to the Supreme Court, resulting in the current ruling.

Political Implications:
- **Reversal of ECP's Allocation**:
  - The ruling invalidates the distribution of reserved seats to other parties, affecting the composition of various assemblies.
  - In KP, one reserved seat each had been allocated to JUI-P, PML-N, and PPP.
  - In Sindh, MQM-P and PPP were allocated reserved seats for women and minorities.

- **Impact on Parliamentary Majority**:
  - The PHC ruling previously allowed the ruling coalition to achieve a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly.
  - The Supreme Court's decision disrupts this majority, changing the political dynamics.

This verdict significantly reshapes the political landscape by reinstating the PTI-backed SIC’s entitlement to reserved seats and altering the balance of power in both the National Assembly and provincial assemblies.