KP reserved seats MPAs sworn in ahead of KP Senate polls

PESHAWAR: On the eve of the Senate elections, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi administered the oath to 25 opposition reserved seats lawmakers, following directives issued by the Peshawar High Court. 

The development comes hours after the opposition MPAs filed a petition in the PHC, urging the chief justice to nominate an authority to oversee the oath-taking process after KP Assembly speaker adjourned the session due to a lack of quorum. 

As many as 21 women and four minority members took their oath as members of the KP Assembly on reserved seats.

Earlier, KP Governor Kundi took to X and said in line with the court's order, he will administer the oath to the MPAs at 6pm today (Sunday) at his official residence in Peshawar.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly session was adjourned shortly after it commenced due to a lack of quorum as the PTI lawmakers skipped the crucial sitting earlier today.

KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, who started the proceedings with a delay of over two hours, adjourned the session when PTI MPA Sher Ali Afridi pointed out the lack of quorum.

The chair then ordered headcount and rang the bells for a five-minute break before finally adjourning the session until July 24.

The decision to skip the assembly session came after PTI KP chapter parliamentary party meeting decided to boycott the sitting.

As the proceedings began today, opposition MPAs criticised the interruption during the Quranic recitation, saying, “You cannot point out quorum during the recitation,” said a PML-N MPA.

“Mr speaker, this is not the right way… we’ve been denied our right to take the oath for two years,” she added.

Leader of the Opposition in KP Assembly Dr Ibadullah Khan also expressed displeasure over the speaker's move, warning that the opposition would take legal action.

“We’ll go to court and request the chief justice to intervene,” he said. “If the oath isn’t taken now, it should at least happen later this evening.”

He added that the opposition is committed to preserving what little political space remains and ensuring it is not further eroded.

'Violation of Constitution'

Meanwhile, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has declared the oath-taking of reserved seats MPAs at the Governor House a violation of the Constitution.

In a statement, Gandapur said that Article 65 of the Constitution clearly states that the oath can only be administered on the floor of the assembly.

He clarified that the provincial assembly speaker did not refuse to administer the oath, but had to adjourn the session due to lack of quorum.

"The next session has been convened on July 24. Taking oath at the Governor House is an unconstitutional act,” he added.

The chief minister further said that if the speaker and chief minister refuse, only then can the chief justice nominate someone to oversee the oath.

Gandapur said that his government will challenge the oath-taking ceremony in court. “The writ petition has been completed but could not be filed today due to the court holiday. It will be submitted to the Peshawar High Court tomorrow,” he confirmed.

Senate polls

Following the PHC directives, a spokesperson for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said the Senate polls in the KP will take place, at 11am in the Jirga Hall.

The swearing-in is a key procedural requirement to complete the electoral college for upcoming Senate elections.

Elected members on reserved seats for women and minorities in the provincial assembly had not taken their oath on Sunday, prompting the ECP to formally request the Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court to nominate a suitable individual for administering the oath, the spokesperson added.

In anticipation of Monday’s proceedings, the ECP has directed the Inspector General of Police Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the chief secretary, and the Inspector General Frontier Constabulary to ensure foolproof security arrangements.

The commission emphasised that a secure and uninterrupted environment is essential for the smooth conduct of the electoral process.

PTI disgruntled members

The recent development came after differences in the PTI over the Senate ticket distribution intensified as the KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and the party’s political committee failed to placate the disgruntled members.

The first round of negotiations, held in Peshawar a day ago, ended without consensus after five covering candidates refused to withdraw from the race.

They rejected the party leadership’s directive to step aside under a 6-5 formula that allocates six Senate seats to the PTI and five to the opposition parties.

The dissidents demanded that one seat each from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUIF) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) be reclaimed before they would consider withdrawing. A second meeting took place later the same night between the chief minister and the same dissident candidates, but it also failed to yield an agreement.

A total of five candidates have refused to withdraw their papers from the polls slated for Monday.

Among these candidates, Irfan Saleem, Khurram Zeeshan and Waqas Orakzai are hoping for a general seat, former additional inspector general of police Syed Irshad Hussain, is a candidate for the seat reserved for technocrats and Ayesha Bano is a candidate for the reserved seats for women.

The opposition’s nominees are Talha Mahmood, Atta-ul-Haq Dervish, Rubina Khalid, Dilawar Khan, and Niaz Ahmad.

Insiders confirmed that the chief minister had instructed the group to withdraw unconditionally, but they remained defiant.The standoff escalated when former PTI Peshawar City President Rehman Jalal addressed a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club, warning the leadership to revise the ticket list or face street protests.

A large number of party workers have staged protests and run aggressive social media campaigns, especially for three of the loyal workers — Khurram Zeeshan Advocate, Irfan Saleem and Ayesha Bano. They demanded that the senior leadership nominate Irfan Saleem as the main contender for the Upper House.

Irfan is currently PTI Peshawar district president and is an active member of the party. Ayesha Bano is a former MPA and vice president of the party in KP.

Khurram Zeeshan, is a former civil judge and a practicing lawyer, who secured bail for hundreds of party workers after appearing in court on their behalf in the May 9 cases. He is currently the deputy information secretary of the PTI KP.

The internal rebellion has cast serious doubt over the feasibility of holding unopposed Senate elections in KP, despite the government-opposition formula agreed upon earlier this week.

Under the deal, PTI will secure six seats while the opposition will take five.