Ruling allies to have 233 seats in NA

ISLAMABAD: Following Supreme Court’s (SC) verdict declaring PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) ineligible for reserved seats, the ruling alliance in the centre would get two-thirds majority in the National Assembly with the restoration of 22 seats.

The coalition government will get 19 out of 22 reserved seats. The strength of PMLN and its allied parties will increase from 214 to 233 — nine seats more than the two-thirds majority in the lower house of the Parliament of 336 seats.

The JUIF is also beneficiary of the SC decision as the Maulana Fazlur Rehman-led party would also receive three reserved seats. However, the JUIF will not be in a bargaining position at all in these circumstances.

The PMLN will get 15 reserved seats in the National Assembly, PPP seven seats and JUIF three seats. These seats also include one seat each for three parties in minorities’ quota.

In total, 55 provincial assemblies seats have been restored, including 25 reserved seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, 27 reserved seats in Punjab Assembly and three seats in Sindh Assembly.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, the JUI-F will be main beneficiary with 10 reserved while PML-N and PPP will get seven seats each and ANP one.

In Punjab Assembly, the PML-N will get 23 seats, PPP two seats while Istehkam Pakistan Party and PML-Q getting one each. In Sindh Assembly, the PPP will get two reserved seats and PML-N one.