PML-N moves PHC against awarding minority seat to JUI-F

PESHAWAR, (NNI): Two opposition parties of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly fighting for a reserved seat for minorities in the legislature.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has challenged the decision of awarding a reserved seat for minorities in provincial legislature to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) in the Peshawar High Court.

It has been petitioned in the high court that the JUI and the PML-N have equal number of 7 general seats in the house. "In case of equal number of seats of two parties the minorities special seats given to the party that wins toss", petitioner said.

The party argued that although it was entitled to seven reserved seats in the provincial assembly, the election commission, in violation of the constitution, the Election Act and the rules, gave it six seats.

The PML-N further said that a formula for awarding reserved seats to political parties had been laid down in the constitution as well as in the Election Act. "But the ECP overlooked it," the party complained.

Since the election commission's decision was in violation of the constitution, the party said, therefore, the court was requested to declare it null and void.

The party also prayed to the court to bar the KP Assembly speaker from administering the oath to Singh until it pronounced decision on the petition.

Earlier, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) had dismissed petition of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), ruling party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, over reserved seats in assemblies.

A five-member bench of the high unanimous decision on the petition.

Barrister Ali Zafar pleading the SIC's case over the reserved seats in assemblies had said that that the election commission kept the party aside and granted reserved seats to remaining political parties. court had given