The Peshawar High Court extended the stay on Thursday regarding the oath-taking of National Assembly members designated for reserved seats, which were denied to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), until March 13. This decision came during a hearing on a plea filed by SIC seeking the allocation of reserved seats in the lower house of Parliament to increase their representation.
The court also summoned the Attorney General for Pakistan, Mansoor Usman Awan, for the next hearing. Earlier, the PHC had prohibited the oath-taking of lawmakers designated for these reserved seats and instructed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to respond by today.
The hearing, presided over by Justices Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Shakeel Ahmad, issued a stay order on oath-taking and required the ECP's response. The SIC, aiming to challenge the ECP's rejection of their plea for reserved seats, appeared in court, along with counsels from other parties.
During the proceedings, the court emphasized the AGP's appearance. Meanwhile, the SIC Chairman, Hamid Raza, approached the Lahore High Court to claim the party's right to reserved seats in the NA. The plea argued that the ECP's decision exceeded its authority and requested the allocation of seats based on the party's representation in the Punjab Assembly.
