ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced an open hearing regarding the Sunni Ittehad Council’s (SIC) application for the allocation of reserved seats following the inclusion of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed lawmakers in their ranks.
Initially expected to decide on the leftover reserved seats allocation, the ECP has scheduled a five-member bench to conduct the open hearing tomorrow, issuing notices to key stakeholders, including Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, SIC, Mahmood Khan, Maulvi Iqbal Haider, and Kunz-us-Saadat.
This decision follows reports that President Alvi declined to sign a Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs summary seeking the convening of a National Assembly session. President Alvi emphasized the need to allocate remaining reserved seats before summoning the NA session, as mandated by the Constitution, to be held within 21 days of elections.
In response to the President’s refusal, outgoing Speaker of the National Assembly, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, reportedly took the initiative to convene the inaugural session of the new lower house of parliament on February 29, as confirmed by reliable sources on Monday.
Last week, PTI-affiliated independent members joined forces with the SIC in both the National and Punjab assemblies to secure reserved seats. This alliance aimed to establish PTI independents as a parliamentary group, thereby enabling them to access the reserved seats allocated for women and minorities as per constitutional provisions.
