JUIF’s MPA-elect: PHC issues notice to ECP on PMLN’s petition

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PMLN) on Thursday issued notice to the Election Commission of Pakistan in a writ petition filed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) challenging the minority reserved seat allotted to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s Gopal Singh in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.

A division bench of the PHC comprising Justice SM Attique Shah and Justice Syed Arshad Ali heard the petition in which ECP, KP Assembly speaker and others had been made respondents.

The petitioner was represented by Barrister Saqib Raza while Barrister Kamran Murtaza appeared for Gopal Singh. Counsel for the petitioner informed the bench that the ECP had allotted the minority reserved seat to the JUIF and had declared Gopal Singh as MPA-elect on March 26 last.

He pleaded that the ECP had deprived the PMLN of a minority reserved seat while the party had due right on the seat reserved for minority.

He informed the bench that the PMLN had won five general seats from KP while two MPAs later joined the party. In this way, the PMLN had seven reserved in the KP Assembly but the ECP gave it six only seats, which was less than the actual strength of the party He argued the ECP decision was illegal and unconstitutional and requested the court to declare election of Gopal Singh on reserved seat as null and void. Upon this, the court issued notice to the ECP and adjourned the hearing in the case till May 8.