Sunni Ittehad Council reserved seats hearing postponed again

ISLAMABAD, Feb 27: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) failed to reach a decision on the allocation of reserved seats to the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) in the National Assembly during a hearing held on February 27th, 2024.

The hearing, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan, saw arguments presented by representatives of various parties. MQM chief Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, representing the SIC, argued that the council should be awarded specific seats based on its affiliation with independent candidates who won seats in the election.

However, representatives from other parties, including the Pakistan Muslim League (N) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), contested the SIC's claim. Barrister Gohar, a senior leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), raised concerns about the SIC claiming seats in their party's stronghold of Lahore.

Meanwhile, Azam Nazir Tarar of the PML-N questioned the SIC's eligibility for reserved seats, citing their lack of success in winning any seats on their own and their delayed application for reserved seats.

After hearing arguments from all sides, the Chief Election Commissioner adjourned the hearing until the following day. This ongoing dispute highlights the complexity of allocating reserved seats in the wake of the recent elections and underscores the legal challenges surrounding the SIC's claims.