Sanam Javaid and others have been nominated by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to reserve seats in the national and provincial assemblies.
This development is worth noting for Javaid who has spent several months behind bars due to several offences.
These nominations are part of a strategic move by the party aimed at having a good representation in legislative assemblies.
On Friday, PTI submitted its detailed list of nominees for reserved seats for women and minorities to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
This follows an important decision of July 12 made by the Supreme Court that allowed PTI to claim these seats, which could see it becoming the largest parliamentary party.
According to the Supreme Court’s ruling, PTI had fifteen days within which it was supposed to provide a list of eligible candidates for the reserved seats to ECP.
It also directed ECP to post this list on its website within seven days.
Complying with these instructions, PTI did not delay; thus, they handed over their list that included entrants for the reserves slots in the national assembly as well as Punjab-Sindh-KPK assemblies.
The list, according to reports, contains 67 names for women’s reserved seats and 11 for minority seats. Sanam Javaid, Aliya Hamza Malik, Kanwal Shauzab, Rubina Shaheen and Seemabia Tahir have been nominated among those who are in the race for National Assembly reserved seats for women.
Lal Chand Malhi was nominated for the minority seat in the Lower House. Furthermore, Dr. Yasmin Rashid has been selected for a female reserved seat in the Punjab Assembly.
This follows ECP’s declaration one day earlier that 39 PTI lawmakers who contested as independent candidates on 8th February and then joined the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) are now PTI members in accordance with Supreme Court decision.
In this regard, PTI had submitted certain documents to ECP stating that it is associated with these MPs thus fulfilling its obligations concerning the reserved seats as per court order.
Despite being deprived of its election symbol, PTI’s candidates ran in the February 8 elections as independents. However, they were directed by the party to join the SIC to be eligible for the reserved seats.
The SIC, through multiple petitions, requested the Supreme Court to grant the party reserved seats in the legislature. The court’s favourable decision on July 12 marked a significant victory for PTI.
But this has not come without its share of controversy; the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have filed a review petition against the Supreme Court Decision on the eligibility of PTI to Reserved Seats.
This legal hurdle exacerbates making PTI’s task of consolidating its position within or strengthening its standing in, parliament difficult.
PTI’s strategic nominations reflect a calculated effort to boost its legislative presence and ensure a diversified and strong assembly image.
This move, which includes figures like Sanam Javaid who has proved to be very tough and loyal to the party, underpins PTI’s intentions of appreciating faithfulness and commitment.
The move is expected to appeal more to the supporters of the party, thus giving it strength in the forthcoming sessions of parliament.
The evolving political landscape in Pakistan will see PTI’s actions and resulting legal tussles being closely watched.
For this reason, how successfully it navigates through these complexities towards consolidating its position in parliament is bound to significantly influence its subsequent political course.
These nominations for reserved positions are central to this journey as they reflect PTI’s strategic approach towards maintaining their influence as well as furthering their legislative agenda..
In conclusion, PTI’s nomination of Sanam Javaid and others for reserved seats underscores the party’s strategic efforts to secure a robust legislative presence.
This development reflects PTI’s commitment to rewarding loyalty and ensuring diverse representation in the assemblies shaped by recent legal victories and ongoing challenges.
Thus, while the unfolding of political dynamics is taking place, what would determine whether or not PTI can navigate through these problems will be crucial for its future role within Pakistan’s political arena.
