Dissenting note raises important points regarding reserved seats: Attaullah Tarar

LAHORE (APP): Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said that two honourable judges of the Supreme Court had raised important points in their dissenting note regarding reserved seats.

Addressing a press conference here, he said that on the issue of reserved seat a party was provided relief which was not a petitioner. He said that two honourable judges of the Supreme Court, Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, have issued detailed dissenting notes and it said that after the passage of 15 days a detailed verdict of the case had not come.

He said, “Usually a detailed verdict comes within 15 days after a decision is announced.”

Attaullah Tarar said that some articles of the Constitution were related to reserved seats, adding that in the reserved seats case, a decision had been given not in line with these articles.

He further said that it was also mentioned in the dissenting note of two honourable judges of the Supreme Court that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had not been a party to this case and to provide it a relief the court had to travel beyond the jurisdiction conferred by Articles 175 and 185 of the Constitution and would also have to suspend Article 51, 63, 106 of the Constitution.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was not a petitioner but their 81 members had been provided relief, he said and added that those who had come after being elected on reserved seats and taken oaths of their membership were removed.

He said that it was a reality that if members of Sunni Ittehad Council would sit with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf then this would be violation of Article 62(1) (f). He said that the two honourable judges in their dissenting note said that it was a proved reality that Sunni Ittehad Council had not taken part in general elections as a political party while the chairman of Sunni Ittehad Council had also contested election in an independent capacity.

A party which has no existence in the parliament how it could be given reserved seats, he questioned.

Attaullah Tarar said that it was mentioned in the Constitution of Sunni Ittehad Council that no minority member could join it, so it could not get minority seats as well. The Information minister said that a due procedure was followed for electing members on reserved seats.

He further said that PML-N and PPP had filed a review petition on the Supreme Court’s reserved seats verdict but it had not been fixed for hearing till now. He said that two honourable judges of the Supreme Court had raised constitutional and legal points in their dissenting note and added that these points were a big question mark on the legal framework and needed to be answered.