Pakistan SC grants seats to jailed ex-PM Imran Khan’s party

ISLAMABAD, July 12 (AFP): Pakistan's Supreme Court on Friday granted jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party around 20 seats in parliament reserved for women and minorities, months after national elections marred by allegations of pre-poll rigging.
In February polls, candidates loyal to Imran Khan won the largest share of seats-despite being forced by an election commission ruling to contest as independents. They were kept from power however by an alliance of military-backed parties.
"Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was and is a political party which secured and won... general seats in the national and provincial assemblies in the general elections of 2024," said the majority decision read by Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah. "It is declared that lack or denial of an election symbol doesn't in any manner affect the constitutional or legal rights of a political party to participate in an election."
"PTI shall be entitled to reserved seats for women and minorities in the national assembly accordingly," he added.
Unelected seats reserved for women and non-Muslims are handed out to parties in proportion to the number of elected seats they secured.