The Supreme Court’s decision to reverse the Peshawar High Court’s ruling on reserved seats delivered a blow to the ruling alliance in the Punjab Assembly. It resulted in the suspension of 27 lawmakers on Friday.
Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan formally announced the suspension of several members of the provincial legislative assembly. Twenty-three suspended members were predominantly from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), reducing the party’s representation in the assembly to 203 seats.
Additionally, two Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmakers were suspended, along with one each from the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP).
The recent suspensions affected 24 reserved seats for women and three for minority representatives in the legislative assembly. Notable among the minority representatives affected were Tariq Masih Gul, Waseem Anjum, and Basro Jee.
Additionally, the suspensions encompassed several women lawmakers, including Maqsoodan Bibi, Robina Nazeer, and Salma Zahid.
Earlier this week, the apex court intervened by suspending the Peshawar High Court’s verdict on reserved seats following an appeal by the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) against the lower court’s decision. Concurrently, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) denied the SIC’s request for reserved seats, further complicating the political landscape.
A three-member Supreme Court bench announced the verdict. It also prohibited the affected members from voting on legislation and scheduled daily hearings starting June 3.
The case pertains only to the additional reserved seats allotted to parties later. Before the nullification, a five-member PHC bench had dismissed SIC’s petition against the ECP’s decision in March. SIC then appealed to the Supreme Court, seeking additional seats for women and minorities.
, predominantly from PML-N, have been suspended, impacting both the assembly's composition and upcoming legislative sessions.){kind=link}