The ruling coalition in Pakistan has suffered a setback as it officially loses its two-thirds majority in the National and Punjab Assemblies. This loss comes after the suspension of legislative memberships of 77 lawmakers across four assemblies. The suspension occurred on seats reserved for the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), following a Supreme Court decision overturning a previous verdict.
The electoral shake-up sees the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) losing 44 seats, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) losing 15 seats, and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) losing 13 seats, among others. Most of the suspended lawmakers, 66 in total, were elected on women’s seats, with the remaining 11 on minorities’ seats.
In the National Assembly, the ruling coalition’s strength has diminished from 224 to 205 seats. Similarly, in the Punjab Assembly, where the coalition previously held 261 seats out of 371, it now stands at 234 seats, losing its two-thirds majority. Significant losses were seen in both assemblies for PML-N, PPP, and JUI-F.
The impact is also felt in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh Assemblies, where various parties have lost seats, predominantly on women and minorities’ quotas.
If the reserved seats are allocated to SIC, its representation would significantly increase in the National, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assemblies.
This development marks a significant shift in the political landscape, potentially reshaping power dynamics in Pakistan’s legislative bodies.