The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has made a significant decision to deny reserved seats in parliament to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC). The announcement came on Monday following a vote by the ECP members.

According to reports from Pakistani daily, The Dawn, the ECP clarified that the decision was reached based on the majority opinion of its five-member commission. Four members voted in favor of denying reserved seats to SIC, while one member dissented.

The Election Commission emphasized that the submission of a priority list of names for reserved seats is mandatory ahead of the national elections, which were held on February 8. Despite an extended deadline for submission, the Sunni Ittehad Council failed to provide the required list to the commission.

In the National Assembly, there are 60 reserved seats for women and 10 for minorities. These seats are allocated proportionally among political parties based on their performance in the elections.

While the ECP has allocated reserved seats to other political parties, including those not backed by PTI, the seats for PTI-supported SIC remain unassigned.

The decision by the Election Commission marks a significant development in Pakistan's political landscape, impacting the representation of various groups in the parliament.