PESHAWAR – In a dramatic turn of events ahead of the Senate elections, 25 newly elected members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly on reserved seats for women and minorities were sworn in by Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Sunday, following an intervention by the Peshawar High Court (PHC).
The oath-taking ceremony took place at Governor House Peshawar, attended by officials from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), KP Assembly staff, and government representatives. The move comes after repeated delays and obstruction within the provincial assembly.
“Preventing elected representatives from taking their oath is disgraceful. It is their constitutional right,” said Governor Kundi, condemning the PTI-led government for blocking the earlier scheduled session.
Assembly Session Adjourned Over Quorum Challenge
Earlier the same day, a KP Assembly session convened to administer the oaths was abruptly adjourned when PTI MPA Sher Ali Afridi challenged the quorum. Speaker Babar Saleem Swati ruled the quorum incomplete and postponed the session to 2 PM on July 24, triggering protests from the opposition benches.
Opposition lawmakers from the PML-N, PPP, JUI-F, ANP, and PTI-Parliamentarians (PTI-P) argued that quorum cannot be questioned between the Quranic recitation and oath-taking, citing Article 255 of the Constitution.
PHC Intervenes to Protect Constitutional Rights
Following the adjournment, opposition leaders approached the PHC, which accepted the ECP’s request to authorize an alternative oath process. In a written order, Justice Syed Mohammad Attique Shah directed Governor Kundi to swear in the MPAs “at the earliest.”
The court also instructed the KP Assembly Secretary to maintain official records and facilitate the process, restoring the opposition’s full voting strength ahead of the Senate polls.
Breakdown of Newly Sworn-In MPAs
| Party | Women | Minorities | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| JUI-F | 7 | 2 | 9 |
| PML-N | 7 | 1 | 8 |
| PPP | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| ANP | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| PTI-P | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 21 | 4 | 25 |
Senate Polls Rescheduled for July 21
In light of the new developments, the ECP has rescheduled Senate elections in KP from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM on July 21, 2025. The polls will fill:
- 7 General Seats
- 2 Women’s Seats
- 2 Technocrats/Ulema Seats
Security arrangements have been ordered by the ECP, directing the KP Inspector General, Chief Secretary, and Federal Constabulary to ensure smooth proceedings.
Political Fallout and Seat-Sharing Breakdown
Governor Kundi also revealed that a 6-5 seat-sharing formula for the Senate elections had been agreed upon between PTI and the opposition but fell through after internal PTI dissent. Some PTI Senate candidates refused to withdraw their nominations, against the party’s central instructions.
KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur later confirmed:
“We had agreed to give five seats to the opposition, but internal party issues caused losses. We will now contest on a 6-5 basis.”
Assembly Numbers Updated
With the newly inducted lawmakers, the opposition now holds 52 seats in the 125-member KP Assembly, while PTI retains a majority with 92 seats.
Conclusion
This episode marks a significant development in the ongoing power struggle in KP. With full representation now secured, the opposition enters the Senate polls in a stronger position. The episode also underscores growing judicial oversight amid heightened political uncertainty in Pakistan’s democratic institutions.
