Imran Khan's party set to emerge as single largest party in Pakistan

Islamabad [Pakistan]: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) is set to emerge as the single largest party in the National Assembly, while the ruling coalition seems set to lose its two-thirds majority, in the aftermath of the Supreme Court's judgment declaring the PTI eligible to get reserved seats, Pakistan-based daily, The Dawn reported.

Court Declares PTI Eligible for Reserved Seats

Dawn reported that the Supreme Court of Pakistan declared the party eligible for a share of reserved seats in the national and provincial assemblies. The landmark judgement, delivered on Friday by a 13-member bench in an 8-5 ruling, dealt a significant setback to the coalition government.

Impact on National Assembly Composition

The case was filed by the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), a political party whose PTI-backed candidates joined after the February 8 general election, which they were forced to contest as independents. Due to alleged electoral law violations, the Tehreek-i-Insaf party was initially barred from contesting the polls under its electoral symbol, a cricket bat. Consequently, PTI candidates ran as independents but won 93 seats in the National Assembly, outstripping other parties. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) came second with 75 seats, while the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) secured third place with 54 seats.

Coalition Government's Setback

Following Khan's refusal to join hands with any rival party, the PML-N and PPP agreed to form a coalition government with smaller parties. PTI-backed candidates, having won as independents, later aligned with SIC to form a coalition. The Supreme Court's decision on Friday annulled the Peshawar High Court's (PHC) ruling and declared the ECP's decision null and void, citing it as unconstitutional.

Legal Battle: PHC vs. Supreme Court

The top court on Friday annulled the decision of the PHC while also declaring the decision of the election regulator null and void, terming it against the Constitution of Pakistan. PTI members lauded the top court's decision. A post from the PTI's official X account demanded the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja for "violating [the] Constitution of Pakistan". PTI leader and former KP finance minister Taimur Khan Jhagra congratulated Imran Khan and PTI supporters on the Supreme Court's decision. "We are on the right side of history, as difficult as that may be. The fight will go on," he wrote on X, adding that there were "serious questions on the malafide intent" of the ECP.

PTI's Electoral Journey and Challenges

The reserved seats issue came to the limelight after over 80 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) backed independent candidates emerged victorious in the February 8 elections. The SIC then approached the ECP on February 21 seeking allocation of reserved seats. However, the PTI suffered a setback after the electoral body, citing the party's failure to submit its list of candidates, denied allocating the reserved seats to the SIC via its 4-1 majority verdict on March 4.