ISLAMABAD: Independent candidates under the Constitution may join any political parliamentary party within three days after notification of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and that party would get more reserve seats for women and non-Muslims in the National Assembly under the new numerical strength.
If independent candidates do not join any political parliamentary party within three days after notification of the ECP, then they will remain in their independent position.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Majlis Wahdat-ul-Muslimeen (MWM) have already signed an agreement on political cooperation.
A reliable source told Business Recorder that the independent candidates may join the MWM after notification of the ECP. A MWM candidate, Hameed Hussain, has won election on NA-37 (Kurrum).
However, when contacted, a senior leader of MWM, Syed Nasir Shirazi, said that his party may go for an alliance with the PTI. “However, the final decision is up to PTI founder Imran Khan,” he said.
According to constitutional experts, if the independent candidates join any parliamentary party (may be a very small, even one member in House party) then its strength would increase and it would get reserve seats for women or non-Muslims in the National Assembly under the new numerical strength.
The independent candidates also under the constitution of Pakistan can elect the Prime Minister (Leader of the House) with a majority in the Lower House of the Parliament without any affiliation to a political party.
According to Article 51 (6) of the constitution, “Provided that for the purpose of this sub-clause the total number of general seats won by a political party shall include the independent returned candidate or candidates who may duly join such political party within three days of the publication in the official Gazette of the names of the returned candidates;”
“(e)members to the seats reserved for non-Muslims shall be elected in accordance with law through proportional representation system of political parties’ lists of candidates on the basis of total number of general seats won by each political party in the National Assembly: Provided that for the purpose of this sub-clause the total number of general seats won by a political party shall include the independent returned candidate or candidates who may duly join such political party within three days of the publication in the official Gazette of the names of the returned candidates.”
The Article 224(6) also explains further about reserve women and non-Muslim seats.
According to Article 91(4) of the Constitution, “(4) The prime minister shall be elected by the votes of the majority of the total membership of the National Assembly: Provided that, if no member secures such majority in the first poll, a second poll shall be held between the members who secure the two highest numbers of votes in the first poll and the member who secures a majority of votes of the members present and voting shall be declared to have been elected as prime minister: Provided further that, if the number of votes secured by two or more members securing the highest number of votes is equal, further poll shall be held between them until one of them secures a majority of votes of the members present and voting.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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