Pakistan's Supreme Court on Friday granted jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party around 20 seats in parliament reserved for women and minorities, months after national elections marred by allegations of pre-poll rigging, reports BSS.
In February polls, candidates loyal to Imran Khan won the largest share of seats -- despite being forced by an election commission ruling to contest as independents.
They were kept from power however by an alliance of military-backed parties.
"Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was and is a political party which secured and won... general seats in the national and provincial assemblies in the general elections of 2024," said the majority decision read by Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah.
"It is declared that lack or denial of an election symbol doesn't in any manner affect the constitutional or legal rights of a political party to participate in an election."
"PTI shall be entitled to reserved seats for women and minorities in the national assembly accordingly," he added.
Unelected seats reserved for women and non-Muslims are handed out to parties in proportion to the number of elected seats they secured.
The ruling weakens the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
His Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party is propped up by a coalition of religious and regional parties and a supply and demand deal with long-term rivals the Pakistan Peoples Party.
Gallup Pakistan analyst Bilal Gilani told AFP that "PTI would try for making a political point about this -- that the government is shaky and could fall".
"It validates their feeling that they've been victimised", he added, but noted "the majority still lies with the current coalition".
Law minister Azam Nazeer Tarar told reporters in Islamabad "there is no challenge to the government".
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
