Islamabad, June 30, 2025: The Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), a key ally of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has formally requested the Supreme Court to release the complete written order—bearing the signatures of all 12 judges—pertaining to the recent verdict in the reserved seats case.
The appeal comes in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 7-5 majority decision that rejected PTI’s claim to seats reserved for women and minorities in both the national and provincial assemblies. The verdict, announced on June 27 by a 10-member bench led by Justice Aminuddin Khan, upheld the earlier Peshawar High Court (PHC) decision and dismissed the SIC’s civil appeals.
The original Constitutional Bench comprised 13 judges, but Justice Ayesha A. Malik and Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi dismissed the review petitions at the outset of the hearings, while Justice Salahuddin Panhwar recused himself due to unspecified reasons. As a result, the final short order was issued with the signatures of only 10 judges.
According to the order, Justices Aminuddin Khan, Mussarat Hilali, Naeem Akhtar Afghan, Shahid Bilal Hassan, Hashim Khan Kakar, Aamir Farooq, and Ali Baqar Najafi allowed the review petitions and set aside the majority judgment dated July 12, 2024, effectively restoring the PHC’s earlier ruling.
In a fresh plea filed by Barrister Hamid Khan on behalf of SIC, the party pointed out that the May 6 court order had stated that dissenting opinions would also be incorporated in the final judgment. However, the short order dated June 27 reportedly lacked the signatures of Justices Ayesha Malik and Aqeel Abbasi.
The petition argued that, given the constitutional significance and public interest involved in the matter, a comprehensive order signed by all 12 judges would lend the verdict greater legal weight and transparency.
Separately, PTI also addressed a formal letter to the Supreme Court registrar, urging the immediate release of the full written order in the reserved seats case. The letter, penned by PTI’s legal counsel Salman Akram Raja, reiterated that only 10 signatures appeared on the short order announced last week.
Raja highlighted that following Justice Panhwar’s recusal, the remaining 12 judges should have endorsed the final judgment. He further noted that Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail had issued a dissenting note, while Justices Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Hasan Azhar Rizvi had expressed separate views.
PTI has also requested certified copies of the individual opinions issued by each of the judges involved in the case.
The demand for a complete and signed verdict reflects the PTI-SIC alliance’s continued challenge to the court’s ruling and its broader implications for representation in Parliament.
