In a significant political development, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on July 2, 2025, officially restored 74 reserved seats across the National Assembly and three provincial assemblies in compliance with a recent verdict from the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The move has not only reshaped the legislative composition but also dealt a critical blow to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the country’s primary opposition party.
Supreme Court Verdict: The Turning Point
The restoration of the seats comes in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling on June 27, 2025, which overturned an earlier judgment that had denied PTI’s breakaway members—particularly those from the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC)—the right to claim reserved seats after the party was stripped of its electoral symbol.
The apex court declared that the reserved seats, vacated due to the absence of officially recognized party nominations, could not be left vacant indefinitely and must be allocated based on proportional representation to other eligible parties within the assemblies. The ECP was directed to issue a notification for the restoration and allocation of these seats immediately.
Breakdown of Restored Seats
The ECP’s notification outlines the restoration of a total of 74 reserved seats, distributed as follows:
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National Assembly: 19 seats (including women and minority quotas)
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Punjab Assembly: 27 seats
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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly: 25 seats
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Sindh Assembly: 3 seats
These seats are primarily reserved for women and non-Muslim minorities, allocated proportionally to political parties based on their representation in the directly elected seats.
Political Beneficiaries
The restoration disproportionately benefits the ruling coalition, particularly the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), strengthening their legislative foothold.
In the National Assembly, PML-N gained the most with 13 seats, followed by the PPP and JUI-F. In Punjab, PML-N secured 21 out of the 27 restored seats. Meanwhile, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, JUI-F emerged with eight new seats, followed by PPP, PML-N, and other allied parties. Even the relatively new Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) managed to secure one reserved seat in Punjab.
For the Sindh Assembly, one seat each went to the PPP and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), while the allocation of a minority seat remains pending.
PTI’s Political Dilemma
The major loser in this development is the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which had earlier hoped that its affiliated candidates under the SIC banner would be awarded the reserved seats. PTI had argued that since it had a significant number of directly elected members, its affiliated members were entitled to reserved seats. However, the Supreme Court ruled otherwise, stating that SIC did not meet the threshold for proportional representation as it had failed to submit a priority list of candidates to the ECP.
This verdict, and the subsequent notification by the ECP, has left PTI’s representation effectively reduced, further consolidating the government’s hold over both the National and Provincial Assemblies. Analysts suggest this could significantly weaken PTI’s ability to challenge legislation or influence parliamentary proceedings.
Implications for Governance
With the restoration of these seats, the ruling alliance is now in a much stronger position legislatively. The addition of these members provides a critical two-thirds majority in some cases, potentially allowing for constitutional amendments, the passage of controversial laws, or greater control over key parliamentary committees.
From a governance standpoint, this may mean smoother policymaking and reduced legislative deadlock — at least for the time being. However, opposition groups have warned of growing authoritarianism and erosion of democratic processes, particularly after PTI’s exclusion from the reserved seat allocation.
Legal and Constitutional Significance
The episode underscores the evolving legal interpretations surrounding electoral representation, proportionality, and the technicalities of party registration. It also highlights the limitations faced by political factions that split from major parties or contest elections under different banners without fulfilling legal prerequisites.
The Supreme Court’s decision reinforces the ECP’s discretion in such matters, provided constitutional provisions are observed. It also puts political parties on notice to comply strictly with procedural requirements like the submission of candidate priority lists for reserved seats.
Conclusion
The restoration of 74 reserved seats marks a pivotal moment in Pakistan’s political landscape. While it enhances stability for the ruling coalition, it also deepens the crisis for PTI, which continues to face institutional and political setbacks following the 2024 general elections. As parliament resumes with a fuller house, all eyes will be on how this new balance of power shapes the legislative and political future of the country.
Reference: الیکشن کمیشن نے مخصوص نشستوں کی بحالی کا نوٹی فکیشن جاری کر دیا۔۔
