The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) delivered on Monday a decisive blow to the aspirations of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) by rejecting their plea for designated seats.

In veridict handed down by the commission, firmly asserted that the Sunni Ittehad Council is not entitled to a reserved quota for women and minorities.

The verdict, reached with a majority of 4 -1, saw Member Punjab, Babar Hasan Bharwana, as the lone dissenter in the panel.

This decision marks a significant setback for the Sunni Ittehad Council, particularly following their bid to secure allocated seats after being bolstered by independent MLAs who aligned with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) post-elections.

The Sunni Ittehad Council's plea had been under the Election Commission's scrutiny, with the commission having reserved its decision following hearings on the matter.

Today, the commission pronounced its final verdict, dashing the hopes of the Sunni Ittehad Council for a dedicated representation.

This decision by the Election Commission of Pakistan reverberates within the political landscape, particularly in the aftermath of its earlier actions, including the suspension of PTI's intra-party elections prior to the general elections and the subsequent withdrawal of the party's election symbol, the bat.

As a consequence of the commission's ruling, PTI candidates found themselves compelled to contest the elections independently, highlighting the seismic repercussions of the ECP's decisions on the political arena.