Islamabad, 13 July – In a significant decision, Pakistan's Supreme Court has ordered the allocation of 23 reserved seats in the National Assembly to former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party, Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The ruling, delivered on Friday, poses a challenge to the coalition government led by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

In the February 8 parliamentary elections, PTI leaders contested as independent candidates due to the unavailability of the party symbol. Despite winning the highest number of seats, the Election Commission initially denied PTI the reserved seats, asserting that these 70 seats (60 for women and 10 for non-Muslim minorities) are exclusively for political parties.

The Supreme Court's decision to grant these reserved seats to PTI increases the party's representation in the 336-seat National Assembly and places additional pressure on the Sharif-led government.