The Supreme Court of Pakistan has declared Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) eligible for seats reserved for women and minorities. This decision is a significant setback for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ruling coalition. The court annulled the Peshawar High Court and Election Commission of Pakistan’s earlier decisions, ruling that the denial of reserved seats to PTI was unconstitutional.
The majority verdict, delivered by a bench of eight judges, emphasized that the lack of an election symbol does not impact a party’s right to participate in elections. This ruling led to the suspension of 77 members of the national and provincial assemblies from the ruling coalition, reducing their strength and affecting their two-thirds majority in Parliament.
PTI leaders have welcomed the decision and called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja, accusing him of violating the Constitution. Meanwhile, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar expressed concerns about the interpretation of constitutional provisions by the court.