ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court of Pakistan has reserved its verdict on petitions challenging the ruling over reserved seats. The decision is expected to be announced shortly. The case involves the eligibility of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), backed by PTI, to claim women and minority seats in assemblies.
The 13-member full court began hearing the case earlier today. However, the bench was reduced to 12 after Justice Salahuddin Panhwar recused himself. He stepped down after PTI’s counsel Hamid Khan questioned the inclusion of judges who joined the Supreme Court after the 26th Constitutional Amendment.
This sparked tense exchanges between the bench and the PTI lawyer. Justice Jamal Mandokhail criticized Khan’s conduct, warning him against making baseless objections. He reminded Khan that if he opposed the amendment, he must also accept its consequences or refrain from legal practice. The judges maintained that transparency and public trust in the judiciary must be upheld.
The court questioned whether SIC or any independent candidates had officially requested reserved seats after joining the party. The justices noted that no such formal request had been filed with the Election Commission, High Court, or the Supreme Court. Justice Mandokhail remarked that 13 judges had previously agreed that SIC had no right to reserved seats, accusing the petitioners of misleading the nation.
Previously, the Supreme Court had issued notices in May to hear review petitions after Peshawar High Court and ECP denied SIC’s claim to reserved seats. The ECP argued that SIC failed to submit party lists in time. Reserved seats were then redistributed to other parties, including PML-N, PPP, MQM, and JUI-F. PTI challenged this decision in the Supreme Court, calling it unconstitutional.