Supreme Court hears review petitions on reserved seats verdict
Pakistan
Justice Mandokhail criticizes PTI lawyer for weak arguments; hearing adjourned until Friday
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday resumed hearings on review petitions challenging its earlier verdict on reserved seats.
The 11-member larger constitutional bench, led by Justice Aminuddin Khan, heard the case, with proceedings broadcast live on the Supreme Court’s YouTube channel.
During the hearing, Justice Jamal Mandokhail engaged in a pointed exchange with Advocate Salman Akram Raja, counsel for PTI-backed Kanwal Shauzab. Justice Mandokhail criticized Raja, saying, "You arrived late and not correctly; you suggested giving the seats to the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC)."
Justice Mandokhail also remarked that Raja did not present key arguments during the original hearings and stated that the court itself had to extract the relevant facts.
Referring to previous proceedings, he questioned the basis of Raja’s claim about withheld PTI nomination papers, noting that the decision on such papers lies with Returning Officers, not the Election Commission.
More to read: Reserved seats: SC tips the scales in PTI's favour in landmark verdict
The court questioned whether the earlier majority ruling had violated any fundamental rights and debated whether reserved seats could be left vacant.
Justice Naeem Akhtar asked whether the Court could fill political gaps left by candidates or parties.
In response, Raja argued that public democratic rights were at stake and that a wall was placed before PTI’s candidates, limiting their participation. He also cited legal precedents, including the Peer Sabir Shah case, to support his stance on judicial review.
The hearing concluded with the bench adjourning proceedings until 9:30 am the next day, with Raja set to continue his arguments.
