Justice Mandokhail Highlights Consensus on PTI’s Eligibility for Reserved Seats in Supreme Court Review

Islamabad, May 29, 2025 — In the ongoing Supreme Court proceedings reviewing the allocation of reserved seats, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail emphasized that both former Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and current Chief Justice Yahya Afridi had acknowledged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) right to these seats in their previous judgments. This observation came during the constitutional bench’s hearing of review petitions filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) against the Court’s July 2024 decision.

Justice Mandokhail noted that, despite the 8-5 split in the July 12, 2024 verdict, 11 out of 13 judges had recognized PTI as a parliamentary party, affirming its entitlement to reserved seats. He further highlighted that Justice Afridi, in his separate order, had directed the ECP to provide an opportunity to the concerned parties regarding the reserved seats and, if necessary, to revisit its earlier decision within seven days.

The review petitions challenge the Supreme Court’s ruling that declared PTI eligible for reserved seats, a decision that has not been implemented by the National Assembly. The ECP had raised objections, leading to the current review proceedings.

Advocate Faisal Siddiqi, representing the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), argued that the PTI-backed independent candidates had joined the SIC during the 2024 elections after PTI’s election symbol was revoked. The constitutional bench, led by Justice Aminuddin Khan, is set to resume the hearing on June 16, with Siddiqi continuing his arguments.

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