SC fixes SIC's reserved seats plea for hearing

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court on Friday fixed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) plea seeking reserved seats for hearing on May 8, ARY News reported.

As per details, the top court formed a three-member bench for SIC reserved seat case hearing.

The three-member bench headed by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah also includes Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Athar Minallah.

Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar announced to challenge Peshawar High Court (PHC) verdict regarding reserved seats in top court.

Barrister Gohar said that they will request apex court to form a larger bench on reserved seats matter.

It is worth mentioning here that the Peshawar High Court (PHC) dismissed petitions of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) over reserved seats in assemblies.

A five-member bench of the high court gave unanimous decision on the petition as Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim read the reserved verdict.

Barrister Ali Zafar the hearing came to rostrum and apologized over being absent in the hearing.

He said that the PTI’s election symbol ‘bat’ was taken before the election and the candidates have to contest the election as independents.

On a question about the number of the seats in the National Assembly and provincial assemblies. SIC lawyer said that the party have 86 seats in the NA, 90 seats in KP, 107 seats in Punjab, nine seats in Sindh and one member in Balochistan Assembly. “Overall, the SIC have 226 seats in assemblies and it is entitled for 78 reserved seats,” he added.

“The election commission kept us aside and granted reserved seats to remaining political parties,” the lawyer said. “Some political parties requested to the ECP to grant these seats to us, as it was a vacant plot of land and someone come and encroaches it,” SIC consul said.