The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has once again approached the Supreme Court for clarification regarding the allocation of reserved seats to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The ECP finally issued a notification regarding these reserved seats.

The ECP made the decision in its eighth meeting on the matter on Thursday.

The petition filed in the Supreme Court argues that when clarification was sought on the July 12 short order, the new act was not in place. It requests guidance on the court’s decision in light of the Election (Amendment) Act. Since Parliament has now enacted this law, the petition asks whether the ECP should follow the parliamentary law or the Supreme Court’s decision.

The petition further pleads that the ECP is facing uncertainty regarding the reserved seats and seeks guidance on the Supreme Court orders of July 12, September 14, and September 23. It states that the ECP’s behavior clearly indicates its desire to comply with court orders; however, complying with the September 14th order would violate the newly enacted parliamentary law.

The Election Commission further stated in the petition that while it respects the Supreme Court’s decision and cannot refuse its directives, it is unclear how to determine the affiliation of candidates in the absence of a proper PTI party structure.