PML-N challenges SC reserved seats verdict

ISLAMABAD: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has filed a review petition against the Supreme Court’s verdict declaring PTI as eligible for reserved seats, ARY News reported on Monday.

The PML-N filed a review petition in the apex court, urging the top court to withdraw its July 12 order.

In its peal, the PML-N argued that the PTI was not even a party in the case as it was Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) which approached the Supreme Court.

The PML-N plea stated that SC’s order to award reserved seats to PTI on SIC plea is tantamount to violation of law.

The PML-N in its petition has made the SIC and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) as respondents.

The moves comes hours after Federal Information Minister Ata Tarar in a press conference said that the government and coalition parties have decided to file review petition against the Supreme Court verdict, questioning whether those granted relief were present in court and whether the Constitution should not be implemented.

He said that the petition will also ask whether the election act 2017 sections be declared void and whether the Parliament hold the authority to interpret and amend the Constitution or not.

His presser came after a 13-member bench of the top court, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, ruled that the PTI is eligible for the allocation of reserved seats, dealing a major setback to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ruling coalition.

Justice Mansoor Ali Shah announced the 8-5 majority verdict, setting aside the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) order wherein it had upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision denying the reserved seats to the SIC.

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Jamal Mandokhail, Justice Naeem Afghan, Justice Yahya Afridi, and Justice Ameenuddin Khan opposed the majority decision.