Peshawar High Court Suspends ECP Notification on Reserved Seats Allocation in KP Assembly

Peshawar High Court has suspended the Election Commission of Pakistan’s notification issued in 2024 regarding the allocation of reserved seats for women and minorities in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. The decision came in response to a petition filed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) challenging the ECP’s allocation process.

The two-member bench comprising Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Dr. Khurshid Iqbal declared the ECP’s previous notifications null and void. The court directed the ECP to hold fresh hearings, listen to all political stakeholders including PML-N, PPP, JUI-F, ANP, and PTI Parliamentarians, and reallocate the seats accordingly within ten days.

The court further ordered that no oath should be taken on the disputed reserved seats until a final decision is made.

During the hearing, PML-N’s legal team argued that the ECP did not count their rightful seats, including those joined by independent candidates within the constitutional three-day limit after the general elections. The court was also informed of discrepancies in how candidates like Malik Tariq Awan were treated in the seat count.

This ruling marks a significant moment in KP’s post-election political landscape and may lead to major reshuffling in the Assembly’s reserved seat representation.