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CWA # 1356, 24 June 2024
Pakistan Reader
The Rise of Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) in Parliament: Four Major Takeaways

  Rohini Reenum

On 1 May, The Express Tribune reported that the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) has become the second largest political party in Pakistan’s National Assembly, following the Election Commission of Pakistan accepting it as “a registered parliamentary political party.” Following the ECP notification, the National Assembly Secretariat subsequently accepted “the inclusion of PTI-backed independent members in the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) and finally released their list on its official website.”
Following are the four major takeaways:
 
1. SIC as the second-largest Parliamentary Party
The above development means the 83 PTI-backed candidates who had won NA seats are now a part of the SIC, making it the Parliament’s second-largest party. The PML-N is the largest party with 123 seats. It had won a total of 75 general seats and was joined by nine independents. Subsequently, it was allocated a total of 39 reserved seats bringing the final tally to 123.  Earlier, the PPP was the second largest party with 73 seats.  It had won 54 general seats and was subsequently allocated a total of 19 reserved seats bringing the tally to 73. This number was still less than the PTI-backed candidates who had won seats in the national assembly.  The SIC had not contested the elections as a political party for any seat in the national or provincial assemblies. Therefore, the SIC had no representation in the Parliament as a party until the PTI-backed candidates who won the national assembly seats joined the SIC.
 
2. The question of “Reserved Seats” for the SIC to remain uncertain
Reserved seats are “a share of the special seats reserved for women and minorities” which is allocated to political parties in both national and provincial assemblies based on their representation in these assemblies. The PTI had decided to ally with the SIC in a bid to secure the allotment of reserved seats as it had not contested the elections as a registered political party having stripped of its election symbol. Subsequently, the SIC had requested the ECP for allotment of its share of reserved seats.
 
On 4 March, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) rejected the petition filed by the Sunni Ittehad Council seeking the allocation of reserved seats in the national and three provincial assemblies, excluding Balochistan. Notably, the ECP only entertained the SIC’s plea once applications opposing its request started stacking up on the grounds that “it was not a parliamentary party” as it had not contested the elections as a party and that it had not submitted a priority list of candidates for the reserved seats as mandated. These charges were leveled by three political parties- the PML-N, the PPP, and the MQM-P.  In its order, the ECP rejected the SIC’s plea on the grounds that “SIC is not entitled to claim quota for reserved seats due to having non curable legal defects and violation of a mandatory provision of submission of party list for reserved seats which is the requirement of law.” On the question of the SIC not being a parliamentary party, the ECP order had argued that  even though SIC was a registered political party with the Commission with their own symbol it had not participated in the election as a registered political party in effect agreeing with the opponents claims. The ECP subsequently then allocated the reserved seats among other parties that fulfilled the criteria according to proportional representation. Following the ECP decision, the SIC petitioned the Peshawar High Court.
 
On 14 March, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) also dismissed the Sunni Ittehad Council’s petition challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan’s order refusing the party’s request for the allocation of reserved seats.
 
3. The SIC-PTI alliance will continue
The SIC-PTI alliance is a marriage of convenience with the balance of advantages in favor of the PTI. In February, most of the PTI-backed independent candidates who had won seats in the national and provincial assemblies submitted affidavits to the Election Commission and officially joined the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC). The decision was taken by the PTI in a bid to claim their share of reserved minority and women seats in the national and provincial assemblies which are only allocated to political parties with representation in these assemblies. Subsequently, in March, the PTI once again conducted its intra-party polls, however, the ECP is yet to furnish a certificate for the same. Without recognition of its intra-party polls, the PTI does not get its party symbol back and is dependent on its alliance with the SIC to represent itself as a political party and claim its share of reserved seats. The PTI also views the SIC as a vessel for it to retrieve its “stolen mandate” in the assemblies. The PTI has also categorically stated that it will not merge with the SIC.  This means that the PTI-SIC alliance will continue for the foreseeable future. As far as the advantages accruing to the SIC is concerned, the alliance has brought the party back into mainstream politics. The question of how much operational independence it can have remains to be seen. It is also difficult to ascertain what will happen if there is a change in the PTI’s situation for the better.
 
4. Despite the SIC’s Parliamentary rise, the PTI challenges remain
SIC becoming the second largest party may be the first major win for the PTI, given the decisions by the ECP and Courts going against it. Before and after the elections, the PTI has witnessed a series of setbacks, starting with the arrest and incarceration of its founding Chairman Imran Khan. The ECP had also declared PTI’s intra-party polls null and void and, subsequently, stripped the party of its election symbol ‘bat’ before the election.
Despite the PTI-backed independent candidates winning most seats in the National Assembly, they joined the SIC to claim reserved seats. For the PTI and the SIC, it has not happened so far.

References
“SIC becomes second-largest party in NA,” The Express Tribune, 1 May 2024
Sardar Sikander Shaheen, “‘Sunni Ittehad’ becomes 2nd largest party in NA,” Business Recorder, 27 April 2024
Nadir Guramani, “PTI’s Barrister Gohar rules out merger with Sunni Ittehad Council in case of election symbol’s return,” Dawn, 6 April 2024
 “PHC rejects Sunni Ittehad Council’s plea challenging ECP’s decision to deny reserved seats,” Dawn, 14 March 2024
Abdul Hakeem, “No reserved seats for Sunni Ittehad Council as Peshawar High Court rejects plea against ECP’s decision,” Dawn, 14 March 2024
Abdul Hakeem, “Only a party that wins in general election deserving of reserved seats, AGP Awan tells PHC,” Dawn, 13 March 2024
Iftikhar A. Khan, “PML-N gets lucky as reserved seats doled out,” Dawn, 6 March 2024
“Reserved seats,” Dawn, 5 March 2024
Sabih Ul Hussnain, “ECP Refuses To Grant 'Non-Parliamentary Party' SIC Reserved Seats,” The Friday Times, 4 March 2024
Irfan Sadozai, “ECP rejects Sunni Ittehad Council’s plea seeking allocation of reserved seats,” Dawn, 4 March 2024
Iftikhar A. Khan, “No decision on SIC seats as NA meets tomorrow,” Dawn, 28 February 2024
Ikram Junaidi, “PTI-backed independents join Sunni Ittehad Council,” Dawn, 22 February 2024
 “PTI-backed independents to join Sunni Ittehad Council: Barrister Gohar,” Dawn, 19 February 2024

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