The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has taken a stand against the Supreme Court’s decision on the allocation of reserved seats, following a similar move by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) a week earlier. On July 12, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of allocating reserved seats to PTI, reversing previous decisions made by the Peshawar High Court and the Election Commission of Pakistan. This decision declared PTI eligible for reserved seats for women and minorities, leading to a wave of controversy.

The ruling came after appeals from the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), supported by PTI, challenging the Election Commission’s decision and subsequent backing by the Peshawar High Court. The SIC argued that denying the seats was unconstitutional and called for the allocation of 77 reserved seats originally assigned to other parties within the ruling coalition. This move was met with criticism from the ruling coalition, with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz expressing surprise and questioning the legitimacy of reinstating individuals she described as “criminals of the nation.”

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Represented by Farooq H. Naek, the PPP’s review petition aims to overturn the July 12 decision annulling the rulings of the Peshawar High Court and the Election Commission, directing the allocation of reserved seats to PTI. This decision solidified PTI’s status as a legitimate party within the Parliament and provincial assemblies. The hearing of the review petitions by the SC’s Practice and Procedure Committee is scheduled to take place after the September holidays, a move dissenting Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa has criticized.

Chief Justice Isa argued that delaying the hearing due to the summer holidays would be unjust and emphasized that the Constitution should take precedence over the convenience of judges. He suggested that the summer holidays be cancelled to address the review petitions promptly, highlighting the importance of upholding justice without unnecessary delay.