Supreme Court's Landmark Verdict on Reserved Seats

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has issued a comprehensive ruling, criticizing the Election Commission for failing to follow the law during the February 8 elections. This decision allows Imran Khan's PTI to claim 20 reserved seats, reversing prior decisions that denied their eligibility.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has released a detailed judgment on the controversial July 12 order regarding reserved seats. The top court criticized the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for failing to meet its legal obligations during the February 8 general elections.

An 8-5 ruling declared Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) eligible for more than 20 seats reserved for women and minorities, a blow to the ruling coalition led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. Justice Mansoor Ali Shah authored the 70-page verdict, delivered more than two months after the initial short order.

The verdict criticized the ECP's actions, which it claimed undermined democratic processes by denying PTI recognition and treating its candidates as independents, thus infringing on both candidate and voter rights. The court also doubted the ECP's authority to reject intra-party election certificates, reaffirming PTI's parliamentary status and their entitlement to reserved seats.

(With inputs from agencies.)