SC rejects PTI plea for reserved seats: Ruling coalition set to clinch two-thirds majority in NA

ISLAMABAD: The ruling coalition secured two-thirds majority in the National Assembly on Friday as the Supreme Court (SC) deprived Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of its reserved seats, setting aside last year’s verdict that had declared that the party was entitled to get reserved seats for women and minorities in the National and provincial assemblies.

A 10-member Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan, announced a short order in the review petitions, filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) and Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) against the reserved seats verdict, delivered last year on July 12.

Other Members of the bench included Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Musarrat Hilali, Justice Naeem Akhter Afghan, Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan, Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar, Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Ali Baqar Najafi. The court, by a 7-3 majority, delivered the verdict, with the majority comprising Justice Aminuddin Khan, Justice Musarrat Hilali, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan, Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar, Justice Aamer Farooq, and Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, all of whom allowed the civil review petitions.

Consequently, the court set aside the impugned majority judgment dated 12-7-2024 after dismissing the civil appeal, filed by the Sunni Ittehad Council (SI