Federal Constitutional Court Upholds ECP Decision in JUI Reserved Seat Case

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Federal Constitutional Court has dismissed an appeal filed by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision in a dispute involving a reserved National Assembly seat, upholding the election regulator’s position.

A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Aamer Farooq heard the case on Thursday, November 5, 2026.

During the proceedings, the court rejected JUI’s appeal concerning the party’s objection to the inclusion of Sadaf Ihsan in the reserved-seat list.

The dispute centres on the allocation of a specific National Assembly reserved seat and the party’s claim regarding its nominated candidates.

JUI Challenges Election Commission Decision

During the hearing, JUI’s counsel argued that the party had submitted four names for reserved seats and maintained that the Election Commission could not independently make changes to the submitted priority list.

The lawyer also argued that if the political party had submitted an incorrect list, the commission should have sought clarification or correction rather than treating the disputed candidate as the party’s nominee.

JUI maintained that Sadaf Ihsan was not its nominated candidate, despite the Election Commission’s position on the matter.

The party’s counsel described the case as unusual in Pakistan’s electoral history and questioned the commission’s handling of the reserved-seat nomination process.

Court Dismisses JUI Appeal

After hearing the arguments, the Federal Constitutional Court dismissed JUI’s appeal and maintained the Election Commission’s decision.

The ruling leaves the commission’s position unchanged in the reserved-seat dispute.

The case highlights the legal requirements governing political parties’ reserved-seat nomination lists and the Election Commission’s authority in dealing with electoral documentation and disputes.

The decision also brings the latest judicial development in the ongoing controversy involving JUI’s reserved National Assembly seat claim.

The detailed legal reasoning behind the court’s order and any further proceedings have not been established in the available report.