In the National Assembly, ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) is all set to emerge as the single largest party. As per a report of The Dawn, Pakistan’s Supreme Court declared the party eligible for a share of reserved seats in the national and provincial assemblies.
After this latest development, the ruling coalition appears all set to lose its two-thirds majority.
Delivered on Friday by a 13-member bench in an 8-5 ruling, the landmark judgement dealt a substantial setback to the coalition government under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Initially, the PTI party was barred from contesting the national polls under its electoral symbol, a cricket bat, due to alleged electoral law violations. Hence, candidates of Khan’s party ran as independents. However, they won 93 seats in the National Assembly, outstripping other political parties.
In the national elections, with 75 seats, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) came second. With 54 seats, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) secured third place. After Imran Khan refused to join hands with any rival party, the PML-N and PPP agreed to form a coalition government with smaller parties in Pakistan.
On Friday, the apex court’s decision annulled the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) ruling and announced the ECP’s decision null and void, citing it as unconstitutional.
The members of the PTI party hailed the top court’s decision. The reserved seats issue came to the spotlight after more than 80 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf backed independent candidates emerged victorious in the February 8 polls in the country.