The Supreme Court of Pakistan has declared its own previous decision granting reserved seats to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as unconstitutional, releasing a detailed judgment on Thursday that states the political party was never a formal party to the case and therefore could not be granted relief.

In its comprehensive verdict, the apex court observed that while it holds the authority to interpret the Constitution, it cannot rewrite it. The judgment clarified that PTI had the opportunity to become a formal litigant in the proceedings but opted against it, rendering the relief extended in the now-overturned majority ruling unsustainable.

The court document noted a unanimous agreement among all judges that the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) was not entitled to the reserved seats, resulting in the dismissal of its appeals. The contentious point, addressed in the latest ruling, was the earlier majority decision that granted the seats to PTI, even though the party had not filed any application with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) or challenged the ECP’s decision in the Peshawar High Court.

The verdict asserted that Article 187 of the Constitution could not be invoked to benefit a political entity that was not formally before the court. It also sharply criticized the previous ruling for de-seating members of other political parties without providing them a hearing, terming the act contrary to both law and principles of justice.

The bench underscored that PTI was never a contesting party in the matter. An application filed by its then-chairman, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, was only to assist the court and did not make the party a formal respondent in the case.

This detailed judgment follows the June 27, 2025, decision where a constitutional bench, by a 7-5 majority, accepted review petitions and annulled a July 12, 2024, ruling. That earlier judgment had set aside decisions by the Peshawar High Court and the ECP, declaring PTI entitled to the seats initially sought by the SIC. The new verdict confirms the annulment, cementing that PTI has no claim to the reserved seats.