By On Friday, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) decided to file a review petition against the Supreme Court’s verdict concerning the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) reserved seats.
According to Express News, the ruling coalition met to address various issues, including administrative matters in Punjab, the current political climate, and the proposal to ban PTI. It was agreed that further discussions would take place regarding the proposed ban on PTI, and a review petition would be submitted against the Supreme Court’s ruling.
The PML-N delegation, which included National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, and Rana Sanaullah, along with the Attorney General and other officials, participated in the meeting. The PPP delegation comprised Sherry Rehman, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, and Nadeem Afzal Chan.
Just days after the Supreme Court reinstated PTI, the PML-N-led coalition decided to send a reference to the court seeking a ban on PTI. Additionally, the government plans to initiate Article 6 (high treason) proceedings against former Prime Minister Imran Khan, ex-President Dr. Arif Alvi, and ex-deputy speaker Qasim Suri for dissolving the National Assembly in April 2022.
Tarar announced that the ruling alliance would challenge the Supreme Court’s recent decision, which granted PTI reserved seats in the assembly, by filing a review petition.
PPP Central Punjab General Secretary Hasan Murtaza criticized the proposed restrictions on PTI and the application of Article 6 sanctions. He argued that political disagreements should not lead to a party’s dissolution and emphasized the need for political entities to adhere to democratic principles. Murtaza noted that Article 6 has historically been applied to former generals but not to political leaders.
PTI leaders condemned the proposed ban, with opposition leader Omar Ayub, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan, and Shibli Faraz expressing their strong disapproval. Khan stated, “The government’s intention to ban PTI is a clear contempt of the Supreme Court’s relief. The court has affirmed PTI’s right to exist.” Ayub added, “The Supreme Court has recognized PTI as a legitimate party. We demand clarity from PPP and MQM on whether they support PML-N’s statement.”
Various political entities also joined PTI in condemning the proposed ban, calling it “childish” and “unconstitutional.”
In response to the backlash, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar clarified that no decision on banning PTI had been made, and any decision would follow consultations with coalition partners.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) confirmed its commitment to implementing the Supreme Court’s July 12 ruling, which allows PTI-backed MNAs to participate in assembly proceedings as PTI members rather than Sunni Ittehad Council members. The ECP instructed its legal team to identify any potential obstacles to implementing the court’s directive.
The Supreme Court’s majority verdict overturned the Peshawar High Court’s judgment from March 25 and declared the ECP’s March 1 order unconstitutional and without legal effect. The court affirmed that the denial of an election symbol does not impact a political party’s constitutional and legal rights to participate in elections and field candidates and that the ECP must act by statutory provisions.
