The Supreme Court’s detailed judgement in the reserved seats case has highlighted the Election Commission of Pakistan’s failure to fulfill its constitutional role in the 2024 General Elections, according to Barrister Rida Hosain. The 70-page verdict, penned by Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, criticized the ECP for not acting as a “guarantor institution” of democratic processes and expressed doubts about the fairness of the electoral process.
Legal experts praised the court’s decision, with Barrister Rida Hosain calling it a “charge sheet” against the ECP. The judgement raised broader concerns about the ECP’s impartiality and emphasized the importance of respecting the voters’ will in allocating the reserved seats proportionally to the general seats won.
Lawyers Abdul Moiz Jaferii and Asad Rahim Khan also emphasized the need for the ECP to mend its ways and implement the court’s directives promptly. Yasser Hamdani highlighted the significance of the judgement in upholding electoral justice and preserving the people’s will in Pakistan’s constitutional democracy.