The Election Commission of Pakistan dealt a blow to Imran Khan’s PTI party by declaring that their backed Sunni Ittehad Council could not claim reserved seats in the national and provincial assemblies. PTI, unable to contest recent elections, instructed its candidates to join the SIC to strengthen their numerical strength in the National Assembly. The ECP’s decision, citing a failure to submit a party list on time, could potentially give the ruling coalition a two-thirds majority in the assembly. Reserved seats in Pakistan’s electoral system are distributed based on parties’ performance in the general elections, with a total of 70 in the National Assembly and 149 in provincial assemblies. PTI has criticized the judgement as an attack on democracy and plans to challenge it in higher courts. The political fallout of the decision has led to Shehbaz Sharif being elected as prime minister, with PTI’s chances of gaining more seats dependent on the legal challenge. Legal experts have criticized the ECP’s decision, calling it unconstitutional and undemocratic to distribute unallocated seats to other parties. The impact could give the ruling coalition a full two-thirds majority in the National Assembly, further complicating the political landscape in Pakistan. The ECP verdict has been viewed as a setback for PTI and a technical knockout in their ongoing struggle for political power.
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