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PHC Halts Oath on Reserved Seats in KP Assembly Amid PTI(P) Petition
Peshawar High Court stops KP Assembly from administering oath on reserved seats after PTI(P) challenges seat allocation. Court issues notice to ECP & Assembly, hearing underway.
ND
by News Desk
2025-07-01
PHC Halts Oath on Reserved Seats in KP Assembly Amid PTI(P) Petition

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has restrained the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly from administering the oath to members selected on reserved seats, following a petition filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians (PTI-P) challenging the allocation of these seats.

According to Geo News, PTI-P contended in its petition that despite having two elected members in the KP Assembly, the party was allotted only one reserved seat for women, which they argue violates the proportional representation formula. The petition further claimed that PTI-P is legally entitled to more reserved seats.

The case was heard by Justice Syed Arshad Ali, who initially remarked that the petitioners should approach the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) before bringing the matter to court. However, the petitioner's counsel argued that once the ECP issues the notification, the opportunity for redress is lost, hence necessitating immediate judicial intervention.

The petitioner’s lawyer informed the court that 22 reserved seats are supposed to be distributed, but so far only 19 have been allocated by the Election Commission, and no oath has been administered to the reserved-seat members yet.

After hearing the initial arguments, Justice Arshad Ali issued notices to the Election Commission and the KP Assembly, and ordered a stay on administering the oath to the newly selected reserved-seat members until the matter is resolved.

The ruling comes amid rising political tension over seat allocation and representation in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, especially following the fragmentation of the PTI and formation of its breakaway faction, PTI-P.

The next hearing is expected to further examine whether the ECP followed legal procedures in allotting the reserved seats, and if PTI-P’s claim to additional seats holds merit under election laws.

 
Tagged:

ReservedSeats

ElectionCommission

KPAssembly

PeshawarHighCourt

PTIPetition
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