Supreme Court of Pakistan Deliberates on SIC Reserved Seats

The Supreme Court of Pakistan is currently deliberating a crucial case concerning the allocation of reserved seats to the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC). Led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, a full court of 13 judges is presiding over the proceedings. The SIC's lawyer, Faisal Siddiqui, and the Advocate General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Shah Faisal Atman Khel, recently presented their arguments before the court.

Two petitions are under consideration, with an additional petition for contempt of court lodged against the government in the Peshawar High Court. The Supreme Court has intervened by suspending the PHC's ruling on the issue. The dispute revolves around a total of 77 seats, comprising 22 National Assembly seats and 55 provincial seats.

Various political parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party, Mutahidda Qoumi Movement-Pakistan, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party, Jamat-e-Ulema Islami-Fazl, PTI Parliamentarian, and Awami National Party, are embroiled in the matter. The court is meticulously scrutinizing the distribution of seats won by these parties.

Previously, the Supreme Court halted the Election Commission of Pakistan's decision to reallocate reserved seats of the SIC to other parties, stressing the significance of upholding the people's mandate in Parliament. The case has been referred to a Judges Committee to ascertain the appropriate bench for further proceedings.

In a recent development, the ECP's decision in March to assign seats based on proportional representation led to the SIC losing 77 reserved seats across different assemblies. The PHC also dismissed SIC's pleas for reserved seats for women and minorities, contesting the ECP's verdict.

The ongoing legal battle over the allocation of reserved seats to the Sunni Ittehad Council has sparked significant debate within the political landscape of Pakistan. As the Supreme Court continues to delve into the intricacies of this issue, the outcome of this case will undoubtedly have far-reaching implications on the representation of diverse voices in the country's legislative bodies.