Supreme Court Awards Reserved Seats to SIC in Landmark Ruling

Pakistan's Supreme Court has awarded reserved seats to the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), an ally of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, overturning a previous Peshawar High Court decision. The SIC challenged the Election Commission's denial of its share in reserved seats. The decision could impact legislative processes in Pakistan.

Pakistan's Supreme Court has delivered a landmark decision, awarding reserved seats to the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), a political ally of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan. This ruling overturns a previous decision by the Peshawar High Court, which had upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) refusal to allocate reserved seats for SIC in the National Assembly and provincial assemblies.

The case was brought to the Supreme Court after the SIC's appeal against the ECP's decision was dismissed by the Peshawar High Court in March. The ECP initially denied SIC its share of reserved seats, arguing that SIC had not contested the elections as a separate entity and only gained prominence when PTI-backed independent candidates joined its ranks post-elections.

A full bench of 13 justices, headed by Chief Justice Isa, took two days of deliberation before delivering their verdict. The majority ruled in favor of SIC, with Justice Mansoor Ali Shah announcing the decision. The ruling, which can influence the legislative balance, follows the Supreme Court's earlier suspension of the Peshawar High Court's decision and the ECP's lifting of victory notifications for 77 reserved seat candidates.

(With inputs from agencies.)