Pakistan: PM Shehbaz Sharif begins consultations with coalition partners against SC judgment in reserved seats for Imran Khan’s party – World News

Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif on Friday started consultations with his coalition partners, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), over the verdict of the Supreme Court on reserved seats that would make imprisoned ex-pm Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party the largest in Parliament.

Many leaders from the ruling coalition were worried about the Supreme Court’s judgment. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz (the daughter of PML-N party supremo Nawaz Sharif) launched a salvo against the apex court verdict.

“I would like to ask the SC judges to let the country function,” she said.

In the Supreme Court, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party-led government on July 15 has already filed a review petition against the apex court’s decision to allocate reserved seats to Khan’s party.

On July 12, a 13-member full bench of the apex court in a key 8-5 judgment ruled that Khan’s PTI party was eligible for the seats reserved for women and minorities in the National Assembly and provincial assemblies.

If implemented in letter and spirit, the ex-pm’s party will become the largest party in the National Assembly. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s seats will increase from 86 to 109 after it gains 23 seats reserved for females and minorities.

On Friday, quoting sources, Geo News said that the PML-N has decided to take its main ally, PPP, into confidence.

Imran Khan (71) faces over 200 cases. He has been convicted in a few of them and is presently lodged at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.