PTI reiterates demand for CEC’s resignation over poll rigging
Imran’s party-backed SIC not entitled to reserved seats: ECP
ISLAMABAD: Jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party-backed Sunni Ittehad Council is not eligible for reserved seats as the party does not allow non-Muslims to be a part of it, Pakistan’s election commission has said in a response submitted to the SC, according to media reports.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday filed a reply before the Supreme Court to the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) plea against the rejection of its claim on reserved seats for women and minorities in the national and provincial assemblies after the general election.
The ECP said that reserved seats cannot be allocated to the SIC, which is backed by 71-year-old Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-eInthe saf (PTI), as party failed to submit the list of nominees for the reserved seats by the deadline of December 24, Geo News reported.
The Election Commission of Pakistan added that as per the SIC constitution, a non-Muslim person cannot be a part of the party, which is unconstitutional.
“According to the constitution of the SIC, a non-Muslim cannot become a member of the party. The provision against the inclusion of non-Muslims in the constitution of SIC is unconstitutional. The SIC is not entitled to reserved seats for women and minorities,” the election watchdog said.
It added that the independent candidates joined the SIC after the elections, after which the ECP gave the majority 4-1 verdict of not allocating the reserved seats to the party, and later the Peshawar High Court (PHC) upheld the ruling.
There are 70 reserved seats in the National Assembly and another 156 in the four provincial assemblies, and the SIC was not given any seat as it had not contested the election. The party gained strength when independently elected candidates backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party joined it after the elections.
ISLAMABAD: Jailed former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan’s party on Sunday reiterated its demand for Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja’s immediate resignation for failing to hold “free and fair” elections and protested against the “injustices” being committed against the party, according to media reports. Leaders of 71-year-old Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, along with other National Assembly members, led a protest rally from the Parliament to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on the Constitution Avenue here, The Express Tribune newspaper reported. Led by Leader of Opposition and party leader Omar Ayub, the protesters demanded the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Raja and election commission members for alleged poll rigging. Addressing the rally, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan said, “The doors of courts have been closed on opposition leaders; our women are in jail, and history will remember them.” “Today, we have come out against this injustice. Our voice is not being heard in this House (Parliament). Whatever we said in the House, our voice was silenced. We want the women’s release. This is a clear violation of human rights,” he said.