ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is set to bolster its position in the National Assembly following the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s ruling that the party is eligible for reserved seats.
The top court nullified the orders of the Peshawar High Court and the Election Commission of Pakistan, which had previously removed reserved seats from the PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council. The eagerly awaited decision was delivered by an 8-5 majority.
PTI now has two weeks to submit the necessary documents to claim the reserved seats. This development could potentially make PTI the largest party in the National Assembly. If PTI secures the 23 reserved seats, its total number of seats would rise to 109. Despite this increase, the PML-N-led ruling coalition’s majority in the Centre remains unaffected, as it holds 209 seats.
Currently, PTI has 86 Members of the National Assembly (MNAs), with 84 joining the Sunni Ittehad Council, while Omar Ayub and Gohar Khan remain independent lawmakers. The opposition coalition includes JUI-F with eight seats, BNP Mengal with one seat, MWM with one seat, and PKMAP with one seat. If PTI receives the reserved seats, the opposition’s total would increase to 120 seats.
Within the 209-member ruling coalition, PML-N has 108 seats, PPP holds 68 seats, and MQM-P has 21 seats. Additionally, the National Assembly comprises five seats held by PML, four by IPP, one by Muslim League Zia, one by BAP, and one by the National Party.
