Speaker directs election commission to dismiss Supreme Court’s ruling on reserved seats

Speaker of the National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq, has penned a letter to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on September 19 stating that after the Elections Act Amendments, 2024, passed by the parliament, the Supreme Court’s reserved seats verdict of July 12 can no longer be implemented.

On July 12, in a significant political and symbolic win for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), a thirteen-member bench of the Supreme Court ruled that PTI had the legal and constitutional right to reserved seats.

However, on September 14, an eight-judge bench of the Supreme Court sternly criticised the ECP for delaying its ruling on the reserved seats case and warned of serious consequences.

“After the Judgement of SC, the Parliament has been pleased to pass the Elections Act, 2024 which received the assent of the President on 7th August 2024 and was published in the Gazette of Pakistan on 9th August 2024,” stated the letter by Speaker NA.

The senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) member Ayaz Sadiq further wrote, “In view of this backdrop, it is stated that independent returned candidates who have already given a joining to a political party can’t be allowed to now switch parties in terms of the Amended Election Act.”

The speaker clarified that the amended act “shall prevail and supersede” the Supreme Court’s July 12 verdict.