There’s a situation with some political parties in Pakistan regarding reserved seats, and legal experts are sharing their views on it.
The Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) has sought the help of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to take legal action against a construction company for presenting a fake guarantee of Rs710 million. The company had been given a contract to work on a housing scheme for government employees and the Supreme Court Bar Association.
The director of finance at the Housing Authority wrote a letter to the FIA, explaining that the construction company provided a fake guarantee from a bank branch in Quetta to receive an advance for the project. The Housing Authority paid the company Rs716.2 million as a mobilization advance. Later, a complaint revealed that the bank guarantee was fake, leading to concerns about this situation.
In another development, concerns have arisen about Pakistani airlines hiring 60 foreign pilots against the rules. Legal experts say that these seats should not be given to other parties based on the Election Rules of 2017. The issue arose when PTI-affiliated independent candidates, who had joined the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), applied for reserved seats in parliament. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is currently conducting an open hearing on this matter, with various political parties involved.
Legal experts emphasize that reserved seats should be allocated based on proportionality to the total seats won in the national or provincial assemblies. Despite concerns and the ongoing hearing, it is emphasized that the rules are clear on how reserved seats should be allocated, and there has not been any precedent of giving these seats to other parties.
In both cases, legal experts are highlighting the importance of following the rules and ensuring fair and legal practices. The outcomes of these situations will likely have implications for how similar matters are handled in the future.