LHC seeks response after ECP defers notification for Punjab Assembly's reserved seats

• Lahore High Court sends notice to Election Commission of Pakistan.
• PTI challenges ruling on issuance of notification on PA's reserved seats.
• ECP deferred notification issuance till by-elections on 20 vacant seats.

LAHORE: Lahore High Court (LHC) has sought a response from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) after pleas were filed challenging the body's ruling on deferring the issuance of notification of new MPAs on the Punjab Assembly's five reserved seats till the election on 20 vacant seats.

LHC Judge Shujaat Ali Khan sought a reply from the ECP while hearing separate petitions filed by PTI’s Samuel Yaqoob and others.

Last week, the ECP had ruled that the allocation of reserved seats — three women and two minorities — would be notified after the conclusion of the by-election for 20 vacant Punjab Assembly seats.

By-elections will be held for the seats that became vacant when the ECP de-notified 25 PTI dissident MPAs (20 general candidates, 3 women, and 2 minority members) who had voted for Hamza Shehbaz, against their party's line in last month's election for Punjab chief minister.

On Friday, the PTI moved the LHC, challenging the ECP’s ruling on notifying new MPAs on five reserved seats in the provincial assembly.

"ECP is bound to issue notification under Section 6 of Article 224 of the Constitution," read the petition. The petitioners pleaded with the court to suspend the ECP’s verdict and order to notify new MPAs on the five reserved seats, as recommended by the PTI.

Earlier, in a bid to secure the reserved seats, the PTI had asked the ECP to issue the notification based on the current numbers in the Punjab Assembly, but the election body ruled that it would notify the allocation of reserved seats once the by-election takes place on June 17—and the new party position is formed.

The by-elections will take place on PP-7, PP-83, PP-90, PP-97, PP-125, PP-127, PP-140, PP-158, PP-167, PP-168, PP-170, PP-202, PP-217, PP-224, PP-228, PP-237, PP-272, PP-273, PP-282, and PP-288.