The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has submitted its response to the Supreme Court in case pertaining to the allocation of reserved seats.

In its response submitted to the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Saturday, the electoral watchdog reaffirmed its stance, asserting that its decision, backed by the Peshawar High Court, to deny reserved seats to the Sunni Ittehad Council stands justified.

The Commission reiterated that the Sunni Ittehad Council’s (SIC) eligibility was compromised on several grounds. Firstly, elected members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) switched allegiance to the Council after the elections concluded. Additionally, the party failed to meet the deadline of January 24 for submitting its list of candidates for reserved seats.

The response also pointed out instances where independent candidates aligned themselves with the SIC post-elections, further complicating the eligibility criteria for reserved seats.

In response, the Commission reiterated that the Constitution and existing laws prohibit the allocation of reserved seats to the SIC. According to the Commission, both its decision and the ruling of the Peshawar High Court regarding the allocation of reserved seats are in line with constitutional provisions and legal frameworks.

The ECP also emphasized that, as per the constitution of the SIC, membership is restricted to Muslims only, which further disqualifies the Council from eligibility for reserved seats.

Furthermore, the Commission clarified in its response that the party failed to meet the requirement of submitting a list of candidates for specific seats within the stipulated deadline.

Regarding independent candidates, the ECP explained that they initially sought certification under the PTI ideological electoral symbol but later abandoned this affiliation to contest as independents.