Punjab Assembly reserved seats: IHC serves notice to ECP on PTI plea

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has served notice to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to submit replies in a case filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) against staying notification of new Punjab Assembly members on reserved seats, ARY NEWS reported.

IHC judge Justice Aamir Farooq took up the plea and issued notice to the ECP to submit a reply on the matter. The court also directed the PTI counsel to make PML-N also respondent in the case and adjourned the hearing for next Tuesday.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday filed an appeal in Islamabad High Court (IHC), challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) verdict which stayed the notification of new MPAs on Punjab reserved seats after they fell vacant following the de-seating of 25 dissident PTI lawmakers.

The Election Commission of Pakistan had stayed the notification of new MPAs on five seats of the Punjab Assembly till the by-elections.

The petition, filed by PTI General Secretary Asad Umar, maintained that ECP’s June 2 verdict on PA reserved seats is against the law.

The petitioner maintained that the election body was bound to issue notification for the reserved seats as per the party’s priority list but the ECP stopped the notification till the by-election on 20 seats which is a violation of the law.

The plea also mentioned the names of PTI members on the party’s priority list for the reserved seats. Batool Zain, Saira Raza and Fauzia Abbas are in the priority list.

The plea urged ECP to declare ECP’s verdict issued on June 2 null and void.