The Shehbaz Sharif-led Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government has responded to the Supreme Court’s decision regarding reserved seats, which awarded the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) the entitlement to these seats in both national and provincial assemblies.
Speaking at a press conference soon after the top court announced the verdict on Friday, Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar expressed dissatisfaction with the Supreme Court’s ruling, emphasizing that the relief was granted to PTI despite them not filing a petition for reserved seats. Originally, the petition was filed by the Sunni Ittehad Council seeking this relief, but the court ultimately ruled in favor of PTI.
“PTI did not even seek this relief. These seats were rightfully for the Sunni Ittehad Council,” Tarar remarked, highlighting that the law on reserved seats is in place and the court acknowledged PTI’s eligibility with 80 members.
Tarar further noted that these 80 members did not pursue any legal recourse to claim their entitlement to the reserved seats.
Meanwhile, ruling party member Rana Sanaullah acknowledged the government’s respect for the Supreme Court’s decision but criticized the PTI for receiving relief they did not request. He added that the government’s legal team is currently reviewing the decision to decide on a potential appeal.
Despite the setback, Tarar assured that the government remains secure with a majority of 209 members. He also clarified that the detailed judgment on reserved seats is yet to be fully examined.
Tarar concluded by stating that the government has not made a final decision on whether to file a review petition.
