Humayun Khan
PESHAWAR: A five members Peshawar High Court (PHC) larger bench headed by Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and includes Justice Ijaz Anwar, Justice SM Atique Shah, Justice Shakeel Ahmed and Justice Syed Arshad Ali dismissed writ plea seeking provision of reserved seats to Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), on Thursday.
During the hearing, Barrister Ali Zafar argued before the Peshawar High Court (PHC) that reserved seats under Article 103 Section C should be given to the Sunni Unity Council. He continued arguments before a five-member larger bench on the petitions filed on the issue of reserved seats for the SIC.
Barrister Zafar submitted that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was deprived of its symbol days before general elections. The Supreme Court upheld the decision of Election Commission (ECP) to deprive the PTI of its election symbol after which candidates were given different symbols to contest election as independents. Yet people voted for the PTI overwhelmingly.
Barrister Zafar said that after winning the election as independents, they joined the SIC. Eighty-six members-elect of the National Assembly, 107 of the Punjab, 90 of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, nine of Sindh and one of Balochistan assemblies joined the SIC. The ECP was bound to allot 78 seats to the SIC, but it did not do so, he added.
The court inquired the counsel whether it was hearing the case of reserved seats of the entire country. Barrister Zafar replied that the petition was for the National and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies. It is worthy that PHC granted status quo against Election Commission of Pakistan orders stripping reserved seats from SIC on 7th March till 13th March. It may be noted that the ECP had refused to give 20 reserved seats for women and three minority seats to the SIC.
Meanwhile, speaking to the media, the PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan said that they would challenge the Peshawar High Court order regarding the reserved seats in the Supreme Court. The PHC Thursday turned down PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council’s plea for reserved seats in the assemblies.
He said that a rally will be held on March 23. The venue will be announced tomorrow. He also alleged that attempts were being made to defeat the winning candidates of PTI through the recounting of votes.
Gohar Ali Khan said that there will be a request from the Supreme Court to form a larger bench on reserved seats. Without these seats the parliament cannot be completed, Gohar asserted.
