In a big blow to the ruling alliance in Punjab, the provincial assembly suspended on Friday the allocation of reserved seats to them.

Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, the speaker, read the decision in the House. The decision was taken following the Supreme Court’s decision related to the Sunni Ittehad Council’s plea against the allocation of reserved seats to other political parties.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court suspended the Peshawar High Court’s verdict denying the SIC reserved seats for women and minorities.

A three-member bench, headed by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and including Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Athar Minallah, announced the decision on May 6 while taking up an SIC appeal against the PHC order.

According to the written order, questions regarding allocation of reserved seats touched upon the “foundational constitutional concept of a parliamentary democracy that the voice of the electorate is truly reflected in the composition of the assemblies”.

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It added that a democratic mandate necessitated that the allocation of reserved seats enhanced the representativeness of the electorate in the assemblies and upheld the principles of fairness and transparency in the electoral process.

“It is paramount to prioritise the integrity of the elections so that the Parliament remains a true reflection of the will of the people.”