PMLN senator says Parliament to examine decision on reserved seats

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) Parliamentary Leader in the Senate Irfan Siddiqui Tuesday said the reserved seats decision has put up constitutional questions to parliament, asking what parliament should do if constitutional provisions are ignored to obtain desired results.

“Whether parliament, which swore to protect the Constitution and law, should recognise the Constitution or such a conflicting judicial order,” he questioned in a statement.

Siddiqui said that the decisions on the appeals filed by the PMLN and Pakistan Peoples Party are still awaited, but there was pressure to implement the eight-member bench’s decision. “This is not possible that anything which is contrary and conflicting to the Constitution is accepted merely because eight judges are saying so,” he said, adding that parliament would examine and review this matter.

He said that the judgement gave relief to a party that did not approach the Election Commission, a high court or the Supreme Court. “The ECP and Peshawar High Court had rejected the request of Sunni Ittehad Council, stating that they cannot be granted reserved seats.”

The senator concluded that parliament would now examine the extent to which this decision aligns with or contradicts the Constitution.