The Supreme Court of Pakistan has announced its verdict in the Sunni Ittehad Council’s (SIC) reserved seats case.
In a decisive ruling, the Supreme Court has overturned the Peshawar High Court’s decision regarding reserved seats, declaring the Election Commission of Pakistan’s order as lacking lawful authority. The verdict, supported by a majority of 8 judges, marks a significant development in the ongoing legal battle.
The verdict was announced by a Full Court led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, and comprising Justices Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Munib Akhtar, Yahya Afridi, Aminuddin Khan, Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Ayesha Malik, Athar Minallah, Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Shahid Waheed, Irfan Saadat Khan, and Naeem Akhtar Afghan.
Justices Athar Minallah, Shahid Waheed, Muneeb Akhtar, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Ayesha Malik, Syed Hassan Azhar Rizvi, and Irfan Saadat Khan also sided with the majority decision in favor of PTI.
Earlier, the supreme court reserved its verdict on the SIC’s appeal against the Peshawar High Court’s decision, which supported the Election Commission of Pakistan’s refusal to allocate reserved assembly seats to PTI-backed lawmakers.
This decision followed nine hearings, during which the Supreme Court heard arguments from the SIC, the federal government, and the ECP, all of whom opposed the SIC’s plea.
