Govt requests SC to throw out SIC plea for reserved seats

ISLAMABAD: The federal government requested the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan to reject the Sunni Ittehad Council’s (SIC) plea seeking reserved seats in the national and provincial assemblies, ARY News reported.

The Attorney General submitted a written reply to the apex court, requesting it to dismiss the SIC’s petition. The Attorney General argued that the SIC did not participate in the general elections and was not even a parliamentary party at the time of the distribution of reserved seats.

“Therefore, the SIC is not entitled to reserved seats,” the government’s top lawyer added.

The Attorney General added that even if independent members join the SIC, the party still cannot be given reserved seats for women and minorities.

He argued that even after joining the SIC, the independent canidates would still be considered as independents.

“The reserved seats can only be given to a party that has won seats in the general elections and submitted the priority list to the Election Commission of Pakistan,” the Attorney General added.

He requested the SC to uphold the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision to not allocate reserved seats to the SIC.

Read More: PTI ‘committed suicide’ by joining SIC, says CJP Isa 

Earlier on Monday, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa asked during SIC reserved seat case hearing why Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) committed suicide by joining the SIC

The CJP passed these remarks while heading the full bench to hear the SIC’s plea against Peshawar High Court verdict on reserved seats.

During the hearing, CJP Isa remarked that they should remember the time when we gave them the election date.” saying that “it was you (PTI) who tried to delay the elections and filed a petition in the Lahore High Court in this regard.”

The Chief Justice also mentioned that a three-member bench of the Supreme Court had failed to conduct elections.

He pointed out that Imran Khan, the founder of PTI and Prime Minister, did not hold intra-party elections.

CJP Isa emphasized that the constitution is clear on reserved seats and no judge can make decisions outside of the constitution. The Chief Justice said that either they should follow the law or throw it in the trash, and no one should not pick and choose which laws to follow.

In a reply submitted to the apex court in the case pertaining to the SIC’s reserved seats, the ECP maintained that The Hamid Raza-led party failed to submit the list of nominees for the reserved seats by the deadline of December 24.

Read More: SIC not entitled to reserved seats, ECP tells apex court

The ECP added that it asked the independent candidates joined the SIC after the elections. “The ECP decided not to give reserved seats to the SIC with a 4-1 verdict,” the reply added.

The ECP told the SC that the Peshawar High Court (PHC) also upheld its decision. The election watchdog maintained that there is no error in the decision of the ECP as well as the PHC.

“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, answer. The SIC is not entitled to reserved seats for women and minorities,” the ECP reply added.