ECP rejects the request of the Sunni Ittehad Council for reserved seats

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has denied the Sunni Ittehad Council’s request concerning the allocation of reserved seats.

The matter of these seats emerged when independents affiliated with Tehreek-e-Insaf joined the Sunni Ittehad Council following their victory in the 2024 election.

The ECP determined that the Sunni Unity Council was not entitled to the reserved seat quota for women and minorities based on its petition.
The ruling mentioned that an additional two days had been provided by the Election Commission to submit the priority list for these seats.

It was also pointed out in the ECP judgment that the Sunni Ittehad Council failed to nominate candidates for the women’s reserved seats prior to the election, which is a mandatory requirement.

The Election Commission emphasized that submitting the list for such seats before the elections is a legal necessity, and the Sunni Ittehad Council’s inability to do so on time constitutes a legal shortcoming.

The ECP’s decision included that the chairman of the Sunni Ittehad Council ran as an independent candidate, despite having an election symbol, and the party acknowledged that its candidates ran independently.

According to Article 51 of the Constitution, as mentioned in the decision, only political parties that win National Assembly seats are eligible for reserved seats.

The Election Commission’s decision was made on a 1-4 basis, with Member Punjab Babar Hasan Bharwana expressing dissent in a written note.