PESHAWAR: Independent MNA and provincial secretary general of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Ali Asghar Khan has moved Peshawar High Court, requesting it to set aside its last year`s judgement in the reserved seats case and provide him opportunity of hearing. He has filed a petition under Section 12(2) of Code of Civil Procedure, requesting the court to reopen the said case and decide it on merit after providing opportunity of hearing to all the necessary parties. He has also sought directives of court for Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to notify the petitioner as an MNA of PTI.The petition filed through advocates Alam Khan Adenzai and Bashar Wazir has multiple respondents including ECP through its secretary, Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) and its chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza, major political parties and several of the MNAs elected on reserved seats for women.

The petitioner stated that SIC through its authorised persons had moved PHC and challenged the order of ECP of declaring it not entitled to seats reserved for women and non-Muslims. He said that in utter disregard to law, he was neither made a party to that case nor any noticewas served on him and he remained unaware of the said case. He said that the high court had rejected that petition on Mar 14, 2024, and the order was challenged before Supreme Court by SIC. He added that the apex court had set aside the judgement of the high court on July 12, 2024, but the constitutional bench had on June 27 set aside the SC`s judgement and restored the PHC last year`s verdict.

The petitioner claimed that he got knowledge about the constitutional bench judgement on June 28 through news channels. He contended that PTI was the most popular party of Pakistan but astonishingly while deciding the petition by the high court, neither the PTI chairman nor the present petitioner, being MNA of the party, was made respondent being necessary party.

He claimed that prior to general elections PTI had submitted lists of candidates forreservedseatsinresponse to the schedule issued by ECP. He added that ECP had properly scrutinised the lists but the same fact had been concealed from the high court and the apex court.

The petitioner stated that at the time of submission of his nomination papers, he had unequivocally declared his political affiliation with PTI.Bureau Report