The Peshawar High Court dismissed the Sunni Ittehad Council’s plea for reserved seats

The Peshawar High Court dismissed the Sunni Ittehad Council’s plea for reserved seats.

A larger bench of the High Court heard the petitions filed by the Sunni Ittehad Council for reserved seats for women and minorities.

Barrister Ali Zafar said that our candidates went to the election as independents and were given separate marks, for the first time in history such a large number of independent candidates were successful, 86 in the National Assembly, 90 in KP, 107 in Punjab, 107 in Sindh. 9 and in Balochistan one member joined Sunni Ittehad Council, Sunni Ittehad Council is entitled to 78 seats, our case is limited to National Assembly and KP Assembly, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sunni Ittehad Council gets 26 seats and National Assembly. I am 8 from KP.

Yerster Zafar said that some political parties requested the Election Commission to give these seats to us, as if there is an empty land and someone comes to occupy it.

Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim said that you are giving more emphasis on occupation, this has been given by the Election Commission.

Ali Zafar argued that if a party does not contest elections, it is still a political party, it is not necessary for it to contest elections, the Sunni Ittehad Council has an election symbol and is eligible to contest elections, by becoming a political party. He also has the rest of the rights, when a party is formed, it can contest elections and boycott, can form the government, these are all the rights that we have after Article 17, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi case. There is a definition of a parliamentary and political party, the BAP party was also given reserved seats in the 2018 elections.

Justice Syed Ashad Ali inquired that the difference between Sunni Ittehad Council and PTI was that PTI does not have a symbol and Sunni Ittehad Council has a symbol, both did not participate in the election, when you were joining. So you knew that they also did not give the list, specific seats are given only when the political parties have won the seats, the Sunni Unity Council has not won any seats, the word secure has come in the law, you have not secured the seats. , if you don’t win any seat then can independent candidates join?

Also read: reserved seats; It seems like the spoils are divided, Peshawar High Court

Justice Arshad Ali said that you have not weakened your case by joining the Sunni Ittehad Council? You knew that they did not participate in the election, after the Supreme Court decision, you still had time to conduct an intra-party election, but you did not.

Barrister Zafar replied that we conducted an intra-party election but so far the Election Commission has not accepted it.

Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim asked that you were not given specific seats, then why can’t others be given too?

Justice Ejaz Anwar said that the law states that the candidate will get the seats, not that a political party is sitting outside and then joins it independently.

Election Commission lawyer Sikandar Bashir Mohmand said that BAP party has nothing to do with this matter, the petitions pending in this court are for specific seats in all assemblies which are outside the jurisdiction of this court, filed in Sindh High Court. The applications are also similar, all have the same applicant.

Additional Advocate General Mubashir Manzoor argued that if the independent candidates joined the Sunni Ittehad Council, then it has become a parliamentary party. Lia Ho, even if it participates in 2018, it is still a political party.

After the arguments of all the lawyers were completed, the five-member bench passed a joint verdict and dismissed the petitions of the Sunni Unity Council.