Reserved seat quota recalculation at belated stage not supported by law: ECP

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has declared that the recalculation of quota for reserved seats at belated stage after allocation or reserved seats to the political parties is not supported by the Constitution and law.

“The rationale for calculation of quota for the reserved seats on the basis of party position on 22-02-2025 was to avoid unending controversies. For example, if a political party succeeds in getting more seats as a result of recounting or by-election or decision of the tribunal, the quota will be revised again and again and it will be an unending process which is against the spirit of Constitution and Law…”, reads the written order in the reserved seats case, issued by a five-member ECP full bench on Tuesday.

The bench rejected the petitions of Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians (PTIP) for the reallocation of reserved seats for women and non-Muslims in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly (KPA).

The bench also directed that the name of one Malik Tariq Awan be included for the “purpose of calculation of quota and allocation of reserved seats for women and non-Muslims to the political party (PML-N) joined by him in the Provincial Assembly of KP within prescribed period.”

In connection with the reserved seats case, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) submitted 21 nominations for KPA. Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) submitted 15 nominations, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) 14 nominations, ANP 11 nominations and PTIP has submitted 10 nominations to the ECP for KPA reserved seats.

The allocation of reserved seats on the part of ECP on 2 July, in pursuance of the apex court’s 27 June order, suggested that PML-N received the largest chunk of 43 reserved seats, followed by 15 reserved seats having gone to PPP, and 12 seats to JUI-F, as the poll body has allotted a total of 74 of 77 reserved seats to other political parties in four Assemblies.

In KPA, of the 25 allotted seats, comprising 21 women and four non-Muslim seats, JUI-F received 10 seats (eight women, two non-Muslims), PML-N got seven reserved seats (six women and a non-Muslim), PPP also got seven reserved seats (six women and a non-Muslim), and ANP received a woman seat.

Apart from that, Senate elections are taking place on seven general seats, two women seats and two technocrats’ seats of KP on 21st July.

In addition, the election on a Senate woman seat from KP, that fell vacant following the resignation of Sania Nishtar from PTI, would be held on 31 July.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025