Islamabad, June 30, 2025 – The Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), allied with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has pressed the Supreme Court to issue a written order in the reserved seats case, signed by all 12 judges of the constitutional bench, following a recent ruling that denied PTI eligibility for reserved seats.
On June 27, 2025, a 10-member Supreme Court constitutional bench, led by Justice Aminuddin Khan, overturned a July 12, 2024, decision that had previously granted PTI reserved seats for women and minorities in national and provincial assemblies. The 7-5 majority ruling restored the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) verdict, dismissing appeals by SIC and upholding the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to deny the seats due to procedural issues. The bench initially comprised 13 judges, but Justices Ayesha A. Malik and Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi dismissed the review petitions on the first hearing, and Justice Salahuddin Panhwar recused himself, reducing the bench to 10.
The SIC, represented by Barrister Hamid Khan, filed a plea emphasizing that the May 6 court order required dissenting opinions to be included in the final judgment. The plea noted that the June 27 short order lacked signatures from Justices Malik and Abbasi, arguing that a fully signed order by all 12 judges is essential for transparency and public interest. The SIC underscored the case’s significance for fundamental rights, stating a complete order would strengthen its legal standing.
Simultaneously, PTI’s Salman Akram Raja wrote to the Supreme Court registrar, reinforcing the demand for a written order signed by all 12 judges. Raja highlighted that Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail issued a dissenting opinion, while Justices Mohammad Ali Mazhar and Hasan Azhar Rizvi provided separate views, necessitating certified copies of all individual judicial decisions for clarity.
The reserved seats case stems from the ECP’s March 2024 decision to deny SIC reserved seats, citing the party’s failure to submit candidate lists before the February 8, 2024, elections. PTI-backed candidates, who contested as independents after the ECP revoked PTI’s election symbol, joined SIC to claim these seats, sparking legal battles across courts. The Supreme Court’s latest ruling has redistributed approximately 77 reserved seats to other parliamentary parties, impacting the legislative balance and drawing criticism from PTI, which called the verdict a blow to constitutional justice.
The SIC and PTI’s push for a fully signed order reflects ongoing concerns over judicial transparency in a case pivotal to Pakistan’s political landscape. The Supreme Court has yet to respond to the plea, leaving the issue unresolved as political tensions rise.
