Reserved seats case Supreme Court did not intend to exclude PTI from elections

During a hearing in the Supreme Court concerning the reserved seats of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), the court clarified that its decision did not intend to exclude the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from elections. The full bench, led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, reiterated that the decision upheld by the Election Commission did not suggest PTI’s exclusion.

The case, presented by SIC and Election Commission lawyers, involved Hamid Raza, who claimed affiliations with both SIC and PTI but was documented as associated with PTI-Nazariati, a separate entity. The confusion arose over his candidate status, with the Election Commission treating him as an independent candidate due to conflicting affiliations.

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The Supreme Court questioned the Election Commission’s authority to declare a candidate independent against their declared party affiliation. Justice Akhtar emphasized that this decision impacted PTI, a national party, and that the court did not intend to exclude PTI from elections. The Chief Justice and other justices discussed the necessity of clear affiliations and certificates and the implications of misinterpreting Supreme Court decisions.

The hearing concluded with an adjournment, set to resume on July 1, allowing further examination of the case and the Election Commission’s actions.