ECP Suspends Memberships of 77 Lawmakers Over Reserved Seats Dispute

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) recently took significant action by suspending the memberships of 77 lawmakers who had been elected on reserved seats that were initially denied to the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC). This decision came following a directive from the Supreme Court, which intervened after the Peshawar High Court (PHC) and the ECP had allocated the reserved seats meant for the SIC to other political parties.

The suspended lawmakers represented various political parties, with 44 from the PML-N, 15 from the PPP, 13 from Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), and one each from MQM-P, Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party, Awami National Party, Pakistan Muslim League, and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians. In the KP Assembly, 21 lawmakers on reserved seats for women and 4 for minorities had their memberships de-notified. Similarly, in the Punjab Assembly, 24 woman lawmakers and three minority MPAs had their memberships suspended.

As per the notification issued, in the National Assembly, 19 women members had their memberships suspended, with 11 from Punjab and eight from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This included the suspension of four women’s seats belonging to the PML-N, two each from the JUI and the PPP. Additionally, the membership of three minority members in the National Assembly was also suspended.

The ECP's decision to suspend the memberships of these lawmakers underscores the importance of upholding electoral integrity and ensuring fair representation for all political entities. This move aims to rectify the allocation of reserved seats in accordance with legal directives, promoting transparency and accountability within the electoral process.