QUETTA: A division bench of the Balochistan High Court asked the chief election commissioner and provincial election commissioner on Monday not to issue a notification till Tuesday for seats reserved for women and minorities.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should urgently dispose of the matter of withheld results so that the elections for the reserved seats could be completed.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Yasmin Bibi, Handery Maseih and Dr Mohammad Ishaq of the National Party.

They said the party had won eight seats in the provincial assembly but the ECP had withheld the results of Dr Malik Baloch from PB 48 Kech-I and Mohammad Azeem from PB 49 Kech-II which would affect its strength.

They urged the court to issue a directive to the ECP not to notify the names of successful candidates for the reserved seats till the announcement of results for the two seats.

The hearing was adjourned till Tuesday.