Pakistan's Supreme Court awards more seats to imprisoned ex-premier Imran Khan's party
The Peninsula
Islamabad: Pakistan s top court on Friday found that the party of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan was improperly denied at least 20 seats...
Islamabad: Pakistan’s top court on Friday found that the party of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan was improperly denied at least 20 seats in parliament, in a significant blow to the country’s fragile governing coalition.
The ruling by the Supreme Court was hailed by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, which was previously excluded from a system that gives parties extra seats reserved for women and minorities in the National Assembly or lower house of the parliament.
Though the verdict is a major political win for Khan, it will not put his party in a position to oust the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who came into power following a Feb. 8 election that Khan allies say was rigged.
PTI's chairman Gohar Khan hailed the court's ruling, saying they got justice from the judiciary. "This is a day of joy,” he said, urging his supporters to peacefully celebrate their victory in the lingering legal battle.
Azam Nazeer Tarar, the law minister in Sharif’s Cabinet, told reporters that the verdict does not threaten their coalition government, which enjoys the required support of lawmakers in the parliament.