Reserved seats: ECP notifies five new PTI members of Punjab Assembly

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday notified five new members of the Punjab Assembly on reserved seats belonging to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)—in what comes as a big breakthrough for the former ruling party ahead of the crucial election of Punjab chief minister on July 22.

Batool Zain, Saira Raza, and Fouzia Abbas Naseem are the three Members Provincial Assembly (MPAs) notified on women-reserved seats, whereas, Habkook Rafiq Babbu and Samuel Yaqoob have been notified as MPAs on reserved seats for non-Muslims.

The arrival of these five MPAs has increased the PTI’s strength in 371-seat PA from 158 to 163. Subsequently, the strength of opposition in the provincial assembly has increased to 173 seats including 10 seats of Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q).

On the other hand, the ruling- party in the provincial legislature comprises 177 seats; 166 seats of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), seven seats of Pakistan People’s Party(PPP), three independents, and one seat of Raah-e-Haq Party. MPA Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan’s support to any party remains unclear.

The scenario implies that the results of by-elections being held on 20 PA seats on July 17 would decide the fate of the provincial ruling coalition.

As many as 186 votes are required to secure a simple majority to form government in the PA. By-elections are being held on four PA seats of Lahore, two seats each of Jhang, Lodhran, Muzaffargarh, and one seat each of Rawalpindi, Khushab, Bhakkar, Faisalabad, Sheikhupura, Sahiwal, Multan, Bahawalnagar, Layyah, and Dera Ghazi Khan.

On May 30, this year, the ECP de-notified the legislative memberships of a total of PTI’s 25 dissident MPAs, under Article 63-A, who voted for Hamza Shahbaz, against the party policy, in the election of CM Punjab held in April.

In this context, three separate notifications issued by ECP de-notified 20 MPAs who were elected on general seats, three MPAs elected on reserved seats for women and two MPAs elected on reserved seats for non-Muslims.

Of the 25 de-notified legislators, 20 elected on general seats were: Raja Sagheer Ahmed, Malik Ghulam Rasool Sangha, Saeed Akbar Khan, Muhammad Ajmal, Faisal Hayat, Mehar Aslam, Mian Khalid Mehmood, Aleem Khan, Nazir Chohan, Malik Asad, Amin Zulqarnain, Malik Nauman Langrial, Muhammad Salman, Zawar Hussain Warraich, Nazir Ahmad Khan, Fida Hussain, Zahra Batool, Sibtain Raza, Muhammad Tahir, and Mohsin Atta Khosa.

The three de-notified MPAs who were elected on women-reserved seats were: Uzma Kardar, Aisha Nawaz, and Sajida Yousaf. And the two lawmakers elected on non-Muslims-reserved seats were: Ijaz Masih and Haroon Imran Gill. The reserved seats, in accordance with Article 224 (6), are filled on the basis of priority lists provided to the ECP by the respective political parties.

However, the ECP did not notify the new PTI MPAs on the reserved seats and decided to notify them after by-elections—on the basis of party position. The PTI moved the Lahore High Court (LHC) against this decision and the LHC ordered the electoral body on June 27 to notify the related candidates. The Supreme Court on July 1 also ordered the electoral body to notify members on the five vacant seats of the PA.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022