ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has initiated measures subsequent to a ruling by the Supreme Court concerning a petition filed by the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) On Monday, the ECP announced the suspension of 77 lawmakers who secured seats contested by the SIC.
The dispute over these reserved seats involved the SIC, mainly comprising independent candidates supported by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, and other ruling parties such as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).
Members from various parties, including the PPP, PML-N, MQM-P, JUI-F, and others, had taken oaths on these reserved seats across different assemblies in the country after a verdict by the PHC.
The PML-N is the most affected party, with 44 of its members suspended. Additionally, 15 lawmakers from the PPP, 13 from the Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), and one each from MQM-P, Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party, and the Awami National Party, Pakistan Muslim League, and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians, have been suspended.
In compliance with the Supreme Court’s order, the ECP has withdrawn the notification of 22 returned candidates allotted seats in the National Assembly. Among these, 11 are female lawmakers from Punjab, 8 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 3 minority seats in the lower house.
In the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, 21 lawmakers on reserved seats for women and 4 for minorities have been de-notified. Similarly, in the Punjab Assembly, 24 women lawmakers and 3 non-Muslim legislators have been de-notified. In the Sindh Assembly, the commission has de-notified 2 female MPs and a minority member.
All the lawmakers who have been de-notified represent various parties including the PML-N, PPP, MQM-P, JUI-F, Awami National Party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-Parliamentarians (PTI-P), Pakistan Muslim-League-Quaid (PML-Q), and Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP).
