The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has started implementing the Supreme Court’s decision from July 12, confirming 39 Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) as members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). This decision was formalized during a crucial session led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja on Thursday.
According to the ECP’s notification, these 39 MNAs, initially affiliated with the Sunni Ittehad Council after winning the general elections as independent candidates, have now been officially recognized as PTI members. These MNAs had submitted PTI tickets to the election commission when filing nominations for the February 8 elections. The confirmed MNAs include Amjad Ali Khan, Saleem Rehman, Sohail Sultan, Muhammad Bashir Khan, Mehboob Shah, Junaid Akbar, Ali Khan Jadoon, Asad Qaiser, Shahram Khan, Mujahid Al, Anwar Taj, Fazal Muhammad Khan, Arbab Amir Ayub, Shandana Gulzar Khan, Sher Ali Arbab, Asif Khan, Syed Shah Ahad Ali Shah, Shahid Khan, Nasim Ali Shah, Sher Afzal Khan, Usama Ahmed Mela, Shafqat Abbas, Ali Afzal Sahi, Rai Haider Ali Khan, Nisar Ahmed, Rana Atif, Changaze Ahmad Khan, Muhammad Ali Sarfraz, Khurram Shahzad Virk, Sardar Muhammad Latif Khan Khosa, Rai Hassan Nawaz Khan, Malik Muhammad Aamir Dogar, Makhdoom Zain Hussain Qureshi, Rana Muhammad Faraz Noon, Mumtaz Mustafa, Muhammad Shabbir Ali Qureshi, Umber Majeed, Awais Haider Jakhar, and Zartaj Gul.
The ECP has also sought clarification from the Supreme Court regarding the allocation of specific seats to the PTI. This request for clarification is due to ambiguities in Paragraph 10 of the Supreme Court’s judgment, particularly concerning the authority responsible for issuing party certificates. The ECP noted that PTI has not conducted intra-party elections, raising questions about the legitimacy of its party structure and the recognition of party certificates in the absence of such elections.
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The Supreme Court’s July 12 ruling declared PTI eligible to receive reserved seats for women and non-Muslims in both national and provincial assemblies, affirming its status as a parliamentary party. Despite an 8-5 split in the verdict, all 13 judges agreed that PTI should be recognized as a parliamentary party. The ruling identified 39 out of the 80 MNAs listed by the ECP as PTI candidates as genuinely affiliated with the party. The remaining 41 independents must submit signed and notarized statements to the ECP within 15 days, confirming their affiliation with a specific political party during the February 8 general elections.
Last week, the ECP decided to implement the Supreme Court’s ruling. In a meeting on Friday, it was noted that 39 MNAs recognized as PTI lawmakers had indicated their affiliation with the party in their nomination papers. However, the submission of a party ticket and declaration to the returning officer was essential for official recognition, which had not been done in some cases, complicating the official listing of these candidates as PTI members.
