ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s election regulatory body said on Friday it would enforce the Supreme Court’s verdict in a case involving the reserved seats for women and minorities in national and provincial legislatures, adding it had asked its lawyers to determine if there were areas where it needed the court’s further guidance.
The country’s top court delivered a major decision in favor of former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, saying it was eligible for reserved seats in national and provincial assemblies, even as it put pressure on the fragile coalition currently ruling the federation.
PTI candidates were forced to contest the February 8 general polls as independents after the party was stripped of its election symbol of the cricket bat by the top court for not holding proper intra-party elections. While these candidates won the most general seats, the ECP ruled they were not entitled to the reserved seats since they were meant for political parties.
Subsequently, these seats were allocated to other political factions, mostly from those in Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ruling coalition. But the Supreme Court reversed the decision while criticizing the ECP for misconstruing its decision related to the election symbol by depriving PTI of its reserved seats.
“The election commission has decided to implement the Supreme Court’s decision,” the ECP said after holding a meeting to discuss the verdict. “However, the election commission has instructed its legal team to immediately identify any points of the Supreme Court decision that pose implementation challenges so that further guidance can be sought from the court.”
It also responded to PTI’s criticism, which called for the top ECP official to step down following the Supreme Court’s verdict, accusing him of harboring a bias against the party.
“The election commission did not validate PTI’s intra-party elections, which PTI contested on various forums, and the election commission’s decision was upheld,” it said.
It pointed out that PTI lost its election symbol for the same reason.
“Therefore, any accusations against the election commission are highly inappropriate,” it added.
Pakistan’s ruling coalition criticized the Supreme Court’s decision, with some of its members pointing out the court gave relief to PTI, though it had not originally filed the case.
However, the Supreme Court said in its decision that “PTI was and is a party,” despite its earlier verdict depriving it of election emblem right ahead of the general polls.
Pakistan’s election body to enforce top court’s reserved seats verdict, may seek further legal guidance
https://arab.news/pcw8c
Pakistan’s election body to enforce top court’s reserved seats verdict, may seek further legal guidance
- The court said earlier this month ex-PM Khan’s PTI was eligible for reserved seats for women and minorities
- ECP dismissed PTI’s criticism asking its top official to step down while accusing him of bias against the party
JazzCash signs deal with Binance in UAE to explore regulated crypto adoption in Pakistan
- MoU focuses on awareness and development of compliant virtual-asset solutions in Pakistan
- Pakistan introducing licensing regime for crypto firms as it formalizes digital-asset oversight
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani financial-technology platform JazzCash has signed a memorandum of understanding with global cryptocurrency exchange Binance in the United Arab Emirates to explore cooperation on virtual-asset use and education in Pakistan, the company said on Wednesday.
The agreement sets a framework for discussions on awareness campaigns and future digital-asset products that would comply with Pakistan’s emerging crypto regulations. The move signals growing engagement between global blockchain companies and Pakistani fintechs as authorities shift toward formal licensing of the sector.
Pakistan has spent the past year drafting rules to regulate the fast-expanding market for digital coins and tokens, requiring virtual-asset service providers to obtain government approval. Officials say the transition is aimed at curbing money-laundering and terror financing risks, boosting transparency and encouraging responsible innovation.
“JazzCash has always championed technologies that expand financial access while promoting secure and inclusive participation in the digital economy," JazzCash Chief Executive Officer Murtaza Ali said.
“By entering into this exploratory MoU with Binance, we are advancing our efforts to understand how global digital-asset trends can support Pakistan’s evolving regulatory landscape. We aim to engage responsibly, support regulatory progress, and advance opportunities that build trust, transparency and innovation for our customers.”
The MoU does not establish a commercial partnership, but marks one of the most high-profile engagements between Pakistan’s fintech sector and a global crypto exchange as the country moves toward regulated digital-asset adoption.
Binance welcomed the cooperation, framing it as part of Pakistan’s shift toward regulated digital-asset activity.
"With regulatory frameworks like [Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority] PVARA paving the way, this collaboration represents a significant step toward expanding financial inclusion and empowering more people to access the benefits of blockchain technology in a secure and compliant environment," Binance Chief Marketing Officer Rachel Conlan said.
Earlier this month, Binance executives met Pakistani finance officials to discuss digital-payments reform, blockchain-skills training and the potential for Web3-linked jobs. Pakistan also set up the Pakistan Crypto Council and formed PVARA this year to license and supervise crypto-asset service providers.
