The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has been ordered by the Lahore High Court (LHC) to notify members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on the five vacant Punjab Assembly seats that will, as per the order, be allocated to them following the de-seating of 25 PTI lawmakers over defection.
The ECP announced last month that the 25 PTI MPAs who voted for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Hamza Shahbaz in the elections for chief minister of Punjab will be de-seated over defection, leaving 25 seats vacant including five elected on seats reserved for women and minorities.
Following an appeal by the PTI requesting the LHC to direct the ECP to notify and summon five new PTI MPAs, the high court had given the ECP a deadline of June 2. However, the electoral watchdog decided to stay the notification till July 17, until after the Punjab by-elections, leading the PTI to submit another appeal.
The LHC today (Monday) sent out another order to the ECP asking it to notify the new MPAs, which will result in the reserved seats being allocated to the PTI, thereby increasing their number in the Punjab Assembly.
While speaking to the media, PTI's lawyer Ali Zafar termed the decision a 'game changer', saying that after the notification, PTI would become the majority party.
"This means that the existing chief minister will now have to take a vote of confidence because the numbers are greater on our end," the PTI's counsel said.
The 25 de-seated MPAs had voted in favor of Hamza Shahbaz during the elections for chief minister of Punjab, earning him a majority with 197 votes, significantly more than the required 186 votes.
However, as the PTI lawmakers have now been de-seated and are no longer members of the house, their votes can no longer be considered, potentially causing Hamza to lose his majority.
The ECP announced last month that the 25 PTI MPAs who voted for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Hamza Shahbaz in the elections for chief minister of Punjab will be de-seated over defection, leaving 25 seats vacant including five elected on seats reserved for women and minorities.
Following an appeal by the PTI requesting the LHC to direct the ECP to notify and summon five new PTI MPAs, the high court had given the ECP a deadline of June 2. However, the electoral watchdog decided to stay the notification till July 17, until after the Punjab by-elections, leading the PTI to submit another appeal.
The LHC today (Monday) sent out another order to the ECP asking it to notify the new MPAs, which will result in the reserved seats being allocated to the PTI, thereby increasing their number in the Punjab Assembly.
While speaking to the media, PTI's lawyer Ali Zafar termed the decision a 'game changer', saying that after the notification, PTI would become the majority party.
"This means that the existing chief minister will now have to take a vote of confidence because the numbers are greater on our end," the PTI's counsel said.
The 25 de-seated MPAs had voted in favor of Hamza Shahbaz during the elections for chief minister of Punjab, earning him a majority with 197 votes, significantly more than the required 186 votes.
However, as the PTI lawmakers have now been de-seated and are no longer members of the house, their votes can no longer be considered, potentially causing Hamza to lose his majority.