Pakistan

NA issues revised party position sans disputed reserved seats

ISLAMABAD – The National Assembly Secretariat has released a revised party position list, excluding 23 disputed reserved seats, reflecting the current standing of political parties in the lower house of parliament. The updated list was issued on September 18, before Speaker Ayaz Sadiq’s letter to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) regarding the Supreme Court’s July 12 verdict.

The list does not account for the 15 reserved seats previously allocated to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), along with five and three seats awarded to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), respectively.

Supreme Court Ruling and Amendments

The changes come a day after Speaker Sadiq, in a letter to the ECP, deemed the Supreme Court’s verdict, which declared the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) eligible for reserved seats, “incapable of implementation” in light of recent amendments to the Elections Act, 2017. This decision was significant as it opened the door for the reinstatement of PTI lawmakers in the assemblies, and the ECP had already notified 93 PTI members across various legislatures.

However, the ruling coalition swiftly passed the Elections (Second Amendment) Act, 2024, and the Elections (Second Amendment) Bill, 2024, through the National Assembly and Senate on August 6, with the law coming into effect after President Asif Ali Zardari’s approval on August 9.

Key Amendments Cited in Speaker’s Letter

In his letter, Speaker Sadiq highlighted two critical amendments in the Elections Act for the ECP’s consideration:

Section 66: This amendment stipulates that if a candidate does not declare their party affiliation before receiving an election symbol, they will be treated as an independent candidate, not as part of a political party.
Section 104-A: It declares that an independent candidate’s decision to join a political party is irrevocable and cannot be withdrawn once declared.

Additionally, the amended act includes a clause applying these changes retroactively from 2017, further complicating the legal landscape.

Current Party Position in the National Assembly

As per the revised list, the National Assembly currently comprises 213 members on the treasury benches, including:

PML-N: 110 MNAs
PPP: 69 MNAs
Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P): 22 MNAs
Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q): 5 MNAs
Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party: 4 MNAs
Pakistan Muslim League-Zia: 1 MNA
Balochistan Awami Party: 1 MNA
National Party: 1 MNA

The opposition benches include:

SIC: 80 members
JUI-F: 8 MNAs
PTI-backed independents: 8 MNAs
Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP): 1 MNA
Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M): 1 MNA
Wahdat-e-Muslimeen: 1 MNA

An independent lawmaker from the opposition has also joined the PML-N.

Reserved Seats Dispute

The revised list notably omits the 23 reserved seats, including the 15 reserved for PML-N, five for PPP, and three for JUI-F. Without these disputed seats, the total strength of the National Assembly stands at 313. This number is expected to increase to 336 once the seats, including those for PTI, are settled.

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