Imran Khan's Party Faces Major Setback in National Assembly Seat Allocation

Jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party has experienced a significant setback after a new seat allocation in Pakistan's National Assembly effectively eliminated its parliamentary presence. The ruling coalition now holds 214 seats, short of the 224 needed for a constitutional amendment. The opposition has 99 seats, including members of the Sunni Ittehad Council.

Jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party has been dealt a significant blow as a fresh allocation of seats in Pakistan's National Assembly effectively eliminated its parliamentary presence.

According to the revised party positions released on Friday, the ruling coalition now holds 214 seats in the 336-member house. The opposition benches, including members of the Sunni Ittehad Council, comprise 99 members.

The ruling coalition's numbers fall short of the two-thirds majority needed to amend the Constitution, making the allocation a critical issue for both sides.

The new seat allocation follows a Supreme Court order directing the Election Commission of Pakistan to implement its verdict on reserved seats, which would have favored Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. However, 80 PTI members previously listed as 'Independent' candidates are now categorized as belonging to the Sunni Ittehad Council.

Further representation on the opposition benches comes from the Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP), Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M), and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM), each holding one seat.

The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) commands 111 members, while major coalition partners Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM-P) possess 69 and 22 seats, respectively.

Smaller government allies include the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) with five members, Istekam-e-Pakistan Party with four, and Pakistan Muslim League-Zia, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), and National Party each holding one seat.

In total, 23 disputed reserved seats remain excluded from the official count and are currently at the center of political tension between the government and the Supreme Court. These reserved seats are pivotal for the coalition to gain a two-thirds majority.

Additionally, the Election Commission of Pakistan has rejected the Sunni Ittehad Council's appeal for reserved seats, stating procedural non-compliance and the fact that the party did not win any seats in the elections.

(With inputs from agencies.)