Islamabad: The Supreme Court’s decision to stay the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) order on the reservation of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) has dashed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) hopes of returning to power.
At a press conference in Islamabad on Monday, PTI leader Asad Qaiser and Pakistan People’s Party (PkMAP) Chairman Mahmud Khan Achakzai welcomed the apex court’s verdict.
“If the court continues to issue such orders, the PTI will soon be empowered,” he said.
The PTI-led government was ousted in April 2022 in a no-confidence motion by the opposition. However, the party founded by Imran Khan claimed that his resignation was the result of a conspiracy by the United States in collusion with the then opposition parties.
A three-judge bench headed by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah in the Supreme Court this morning upheld the PTI-backed SIK’s decision to revoke their seat quota based on strength in the Assembly.
“We accept [JIM’s] plea,” Justice Mansoor Ali Shah said.
Barring members sworn in on reserved seats from voting on legislation, the SC said the case will be heard daily from June 3.
Further, the court stated that the issue was only about additional vacancies allocated to political parties.
Talking about the wheat import scandal, the PTI leader alleged that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was involved in a scam that allegedly cost the national exchequer billions of rupees.
“We stand with the farmers and the government is playing drama in the wheat scandal,” he said, adding that the farmers have announced a nationwide protest since May 10 against the government’s failure to buy wheat at a fixed price.
Wheat is being sold at a price lower than the official rate due to non-buying of wheat by the provincial authorities – a concern for farmers.
Talking about other issues, Kaiser said PTI stands with every party that the current coalition government considers “illegal”.
Addressing the ruling coalition MPs, Kaiser said he knew even his children were “sitting illegally in parliament.”
PTI leaders also complained that opposition parties were not allowed to hold political rallies in the country.
