ECP Recognizes 39 MNAs as PTI members in line with SC order

Islamabad: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has officially declared 39 lawmakers as PTI members, who initially contested the February 8 elections as independents and later joined the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC). This decision aligns with the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on reserved seats.

The ECP’s notification, uploaded on its official website, confirms the affiliation of these lawmakers with PTI, reflecting their declared party association in their nomination papers for the general elections earlier this year.

The announcement came after a crucial session led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja. Key PTI members notified include Asad Qaiser, Sher Afzal Khan, Latif Khan Khosa, Zartarj Gul, Shandana Gulzar Khan, Zain Hussain Qureshi, Malik Aamir Dogar, Ali Afzal Sahi, and Ali Khan Jadoon.

These lawmakers had contested the February 8 elections as independents due to PTI’s loss of its election symbol. They were later instructed by PTI to join SIC to qualify for reserved seats. Despite winning a majority of general seats, PTI’s request for reserved seats was initially denied by the ECP and upheld by the Peshawar High Court (PHC), citing procedural issues.

However, the Supreme Court, in its July 12 verdict, overturned the PHC’s decision. The apex court, led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, ruled that PTI is entitled to reserved seats as a recognized political party, setting aside previous ECP and PHC decisions.

The Supreme Court’s ruling mandated the ECP to revisit the issue, leading to the current recognition of the 39 PTI-affiliated lawmakers. This decision corrects the earlier oversight and reinstates PTI’s parliamentary representation, significantly impacting the National Assembly’s composition.

The ECP’s latest statement clarifies that while 39 lawmakers had indicated PTI affiliation in their nomination papers, 41 others did not, resulting in their initial classification as independents. These 41 had subsequently joined SIC but did not meet the necessary legal requirements for PTI affiliation as initially claimed.

In response to the ruling, PTI’s opposition parties, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), have filed a review petition in the Supreme Court, challenging the recent verdict. This ongoing legal battle highlights the intense political dynamics and the shifting power balance in Pakistan’s legislative landscape.

The recognition of these PTI lawmakers not only restores PTI’s parliamentary presence but also intensifies the political pressure on the ruling coalition, reshaping the current political discourse.