Pakistan

ECP delays issuing notification for reserved seats in Punjab Assembly

Published

2 years ago

Farwa

ECP says it will notify reserved seats after Punjab by-elections.
By-election will take place for 20 seats of the Punjab Assembly.
PTI wanted to get notification issued before the by-elections.

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Thursday ruled that the allocation of reserved seats — three women and two minorities — would be notified after the conclusion of the by-election for 20 vacant Punjab Assembly seats.

The seats — for which the by-elections will take place — fell vacant after the ECP had de-notified 25 PTI dissident MPAs — 20 general candidates, three women, and two minority members — who had voted for PML-N’s Hamza Shahbaz against their party’s line during the Punjab chief minister’s election last month.

ECP’s five-member bench had reserved the verdict earlier today on the directions of the Lahore High Court (LHC) — which the PTI had moved last week for notifying new MPAs on reserved seats in the assembly.

The reserved seats are allocated to parties on the basis of the total number of general seats secured by each political party in the provincial assembly.

In a bid to secure the reserved seats, the PTI had asked the ECP to issue the notification based on the current numbers in the Punjab Assembly, but the election body ruled that it would notify the allocation of reserved seats once the by-election takes place on June 17 — and the new party position is formed.

The by-elections will take place on PP-7, PP-83, PP-90, PP-97, PP-125, PP-127, PP-140, PP-158, PP-167, PP-168, PP-170, PP-202, PP-217, PP-224, PP-228, PP-237, PP-272, PP-273, PP-282 Layyah, and PP-288.

Today’s hearing

During the hearing today, PTI’s counsel Faisal Chaudhry argued that if a lawmaker is disqualified under Article 63(A) of the Constitution, it is obligatory to notify another person on the reserved seat from the same party.

He maintained that the ECP has to issue a notification “immediately” in this regard under Article-224(6), adding that the PML-N in Punjab does not have the majority and, therefore, does not deserve to rule.

“In its plea, the PML-N misinterpreted the Constitution,” the PTI’s lawyer argued, adding that nominations are made on the reserved seats under Article 106.

Faisal Chaudhry argued that no change could be made in the number of reserved seats under Section 104 of the Election Act, 2017.

For his part, PML-N’s lawyer Khalid Ishaq contended that the Election Commission should notify new MPAs following the current proportion in the Punjab Assembly.

“Article 226 can be read in conjunction with Article 106,” he said, citing that no clause can be read separately.

The PML-N’s lawyer highlighted that the electoral college is not complete for reserved seats hence Article 226 is not applicable.

“The Election Commission would have to consider the principle of proportional representation while nominating MPAs,” he said.

While presenting his argument, Attorney-General of Pakistan Ashtar Ausaf said that a decision, in this case, will have far-reaching consequences.

“Twenty of PTI’s seats have been reduced, after which they cannot have the same proportion. Nobody can tell which party will be successful in by-elections.”

The attorney-general said it would be “more appropriate” if the ECP waited until the by-elections.

Latest News

Rainfall throughout the night stops flights in Lahore.

Published

14 hours ago

Farwa

Allama Iqbal International Airport experienced many hours of flight disruption due to the intense rainfall and windstorms that occurred overnight in Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab.

Aviation sources claim that because of the monsoon weather, the flight operation was unable to operate between 3 and 4 am.

It is possible that the planes will arrive at the airport at 4 am.

Amidst delays in foreign airline flights, three aircraft made landings in Multan and Peshawar.

Riyadh flights arrived in Peshawar Airport, while flights scheduled to land in Lahore in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain ended up landing in Multan Airport.

Seven hours later than scheduled, the Qatar Airways flight from Doha arrived in Lahore.

Because of the bad weather, there are delays in the arrival and departure of numerous international planes.

Latest News

Changes to Pakistan’s Test team could be significant for the Bangladesh series.

Published

14 hours ago

Farwa

Major changes to Pakistan’s team are anticipated ahead of the forthcoming Test series against Bangladesh, sources in Lahore have revealed.

As the team gets ready for the series, meetings with the players are planned for next week.

It is predicted that the Test squad would undergo several changes. The team’s lineup is expected to be strengthened by the likely inclusion of Muhammad Huraira. Key players like Faheem Ashraf, Wasim Jr., Saim Ayub, and Nauman Ali, whose contributions are vital to the team’s success, struggle to get a spot on the squad.

Furthermore, according to sources, Imamul Haq or Sahibzada Farhan are anticipated to be added to the team, subject to additional assessment. Furthermore, following a fitness assessment, Amir Jamal and Hasan Ali’s futures will be determined.

The ultimate selection for the Test team will take place following Red Ball head coach Jason Gillespie’s return to Pakistan. The ultimate squad that will play Bangladesh in the forthcoming Test series will be greatly influenced by his assessments and thoughts.

Pakistan is scheduled to visit New Zealand in March and April of 2025, according to the country’s official cricket schedule, which was released earlier this month.

Throughout their visit, the Pakistan cricket team will play three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and five Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) in an exciting series.

The T20I series, which starts at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on March 16, will serve as the tour’s opening event.

Latest News

PM Meets With KP Lawmakers: Promises Progression and Relief Efforts in Province

Published

14 hours ago

Farwa

Khyber Pakhtunkhawa lawmakers are given assurances by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif regarding the province’s development, namely in the amalgamated districts, with a particular emphasis on the provision of standard health and educational facilities.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa National and Provincial Assembly members paid a visit to Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif at PM House.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister stated that the PML-N Government has always given priority to the development of the combined districts.

The prime minister promised that the combined Districts would have standard health and educational facilities, and that Danish Schools would be established nearby to offer local pupils an education of the highest caliber possible.

The PM also underlined the importance of promoting solar energy, combating electricity theft, and helping the middle class and impoverished.

He said that in order to boost the agriculture sector’s growth, expand the amount of land under cultivation, and reduce the nation’s reliance on foreign fuel imports, the government was converting agricultural tubewells to solar energy nationwide.

According to PM Shehbaz Sharif, the government recently provided significant reduction from electricity rates for those with low and moderate incomes.

At the event, he also announced the creation of a committee headed by the deputy prime minister, whose goal will be to identify long-term solutions to the issues facing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s elected officials.

He argued that in order to preserve the nation from going into default, the current government had to make difficult political choices in order to revitalize the economy.

The parliamentarians gave Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif high marks for his visionary leadership in transforming Pakistan’s economy.