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Express Tribune
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
K-P Senate vote brings no surprises
A lawmaker casts his vote during the Senate elections at the K-P Assembly on Monday. Polling was held for seven general seats, two reserved for women, and two for technocrats, including Ulema. PHOTO: PPI The Senate election in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly sprang no surprise on Monday as a prior understanding between the government and the opposition parties held firm, resulting in the victory of all consensus candidates, according to unofficial results The K-P Assembly voted for 11 vacant seats in the upper house of parliament from the province. Originally scheduled for March 2024, the elections were delayed due to a dispute over the allocation of reserved seats, which was ultimately resolved by the Supreme Court last month. Among those who cast their ballots were 25 newly sworn-in lawmakers on reserved seats. They had taken oath a day earlier at the Governor House after a scheduled assembly session was adjourned due to lack of quorum. Ahead of the polls, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) reached a seat-sharing arrangement with opposition parties, including the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), to avoid a contested election. As part of the deal, the government agreed to allocate five of the 11 seats to the opposition. However, some K-P PTI-backed candidates running independently initially refused to withdraw. While most pulled out by Sunday night, one PTI hopeful, Khurram Zeeshan, remained in the race but received no votes. According to the unofficial results announced by the Provincial Election Commission, PTI's Murad Saeed received the highest 26 votes, followed by Faisal Javed, who secured 22 votes. PTI's Mirza Afridi – former Senate deputy chairman – and Pir Noorul Haq Qadri polled 21 votes each. From the opposition, Maulana Attaul Haq Darwesh of the JUI-F, Niaz Ahmed of PML-N and Talha Mahmood of the PPP were elected. Ahmed, son of PML-N leader Amir Muqam, bagged 18 votes each, while Talha Mahmood secured 17 votes. On technocrats and women seats, PTI's Azam Swati and Rubina Naz were elected. Both secured 89 votes each. From the opposition side, Dilawar Khan of the JUI-F was elected on technocrats' seat with 54 votes while Rubina Khalid of the PPP was elected on women's seat with 52 votes. The results were in accordance with the understanding reached earlier this month between the government and the opposition. Under the deal, the government received four general seats, one technocrat and one woman seats, and the opposition got three general seats, one technocrat and one woman seats. Earlier, the polling started at 11am instead of the scheduled 9am. The voting process was presided over by the provincial election commissioner. One treasury member did not participate in the voting. As a result, the ballots were cast by 144 out of 145 lawmakers. The polling process went on smoothly. The voting time was extended by one and half hours. The first vote was cast by JUI-F's Malik Adnan, while Chief Minister Gandapur was the last to cast the vote. Soon after the results were announced, there was jubilation among the respective party workers. Punjab by-polls A PML-N candidate, Hafiz Abdul Karim, won the Senate election in the Punjab Assembly, defeating Abdul Sattar of the opposition PTI, according to unofficial result announced by the provincial election authorities. The by-election was held to fill one vacant seat in the Senate from Punjab. During the voting 345 lawmakers cast their ballots. Hafiz Abdul Karim secured 243 votes while his rival, Abdul Sattar was polled 99 votes. Three votes were rejected.
Business Recorder
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Murad Saeed, Faisal Javed among 6 PTI-backed senators elected from KP
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secured six out of 11 Senate seats from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) as voting in Senate elections concluded on Monday amid intense political negotiations and a seat-sharing arrangement between the ruling party and the opposition, Aaj News reported. According to unconfirmed and unofficial results, PTI-backed candidates won four of the seven general seats, while the opposition clinched the remaining three. PTI's Murad Saeed, Faisal Javed, Allama Noorul Haq Qadri, and Mirza Afridi emerged victorious on the general seats, while the opposition saw wins for PML-N's Niaz Amir Muqam, JUI-F's Maulana Attaul Haq Dervesh, and PPP's Talha Mehmood. On women's reserved seats, PTI's Rubina Naz secured 89 votes to defeat PPP's Rubina Khalid, who received 52 votes. Among technocrat seats, PTI's Azam Swati bagged 89 votes, while JUI-F's Dilawar Khan secured 54. Polling began at 11am in the KP Assembly and was extended until 5:30pm to accommodate all voters. All 145 members cast their votes, including Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who was the last to vote. The election saw a total of 22 candidates vying for 11 seats; seven general, two technocrat, and two reserved for women. Despite efforts by the PTI leadership to unite its ranks, internal rifts persisted. While some disgruntled candidates stepped down following negotiations, Khurram Zeeshan remained in the race. The voting took place at the KP Assembly's Jirga Hall, which was declared the official polling station by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), with two booths set up for the process.
Business Recorder
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Senate polls in KP: Members defying party line face expulsion: PTI
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Saturday said it would take strict disciplinary action, including possible expulsions, against party members defying internal decisions ahead of Senate elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. PTI acting chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan told reporters that several dissenting members failed to appear at a scheduled meeting a day ago and had ignored directives to withdraw their nominations. 'The Chief Minister [Gandapur] and I waited for them, but they did not come,' he said. The party has referred the issue to its political committee, which, following internal consultations, instructed dissenting candidates to pull out by Sunday. 'If they fail to comply, action will be taken under party discipline,' Gohar said, adding that the individuals in question hold formal positions within PTI. 13 vacant seats in KP, Punjab: ECP to hold Senate polls this month The internal rift comes as PTI seeks to consolidate control in the Senate through unopposed elections in the provincial assembly. According to party sources, veteran PTI members, including Irfan Saleem, Ayesha Bano, Waqas Orakzai, and Khurram Zeeshan, voiced dissatisfaction over the allocation of Senate tickets, accusing the leadership of sidelining long-time workers. Despite the unrest, the party's political committee has approved a plan for unopposed elections in the province. A declaration following the committee's meeting stated that all candidates had withdrawn their papers after resolving differences with party leaders. PTI leadership said the decision, taken in consultation with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa parliamentary party, aimed to curb vote buying and selling - an issue that has marred past Senate polls in the country. The final list of PTI-backed candidates includes Murad Saeed, Faisal Javed, Mirza Afridi, and Noorul Haq Qadri for general seats. Rubina Naz was nominated for the women's reserved seat, Azam Swati for the technocrat seat, and Mishal Yousafzai for the seat vacated by former senator Sania Nishtar. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Nationwide protest campaign: PTI lawmakers step up efforts aimed at getting party founder released
ISLAMABAD: In a bold move escalating the political heat, opposition Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers departed Islamabad for Lahore on Saturday, gearing up to hammer out a nationwide protest campaign aimed at securing the release of their jailed leader Imran Khan. The high-stakes meeting which will take place in Lahore will also chart the party's future political strategy. The delegation includes members of the National Assembly, Senate, and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial assembly, signaling PTI's determination to consolidate its fragmented ranks. 'Our first meeting in Lahore will finalise the movement through to August 5,' KP Chief Minister and senior PTI figure Ali Amin Gandapur told reporters on departure – though he remained tight-lipped on the finer details. Arrest warrants for 63 PTI workers issued The timing is crucial: The meeting comes on the heels of last month's fiery clash in the Punjab Assembly. On June 27, PTI lawmakers vehemently protested during Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif's address, an uproar that prompted the assembly speaker to suspend 26 PTI members for 15 sessions – a move seen by PTI as a calculated political hit. PTI leaders vowed the Lahore gathering would send a clear message of solidarity with the suspended lawmakers and lay the groundwork for an aggressive protest campaign. 'This is not a rally,' insisted Gohar Khan, acting PTI chairman, briefing the media before departure. 'We have summoned a parliamentary party meeting to finalise our future strategy.' He confirmed the Punjab government has been formally notified of the meeting. Meanwhile, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja emphasised the party's unwavering resolve, asserting, 'The return of the sons of Imran Khan is their fundamental right, and they will return.' Raja stressed the delegation's trip is strictly for strategic discussions, promising a swift return after meetings over the weekend. He highlighted the critical state of the nation's political and economic landscape and voiced concern over the perceived erosion of constitutional rights: 'Article 19 is our fundamental right, and this right has been taken away from us.' The PTI, he said, is eager to reconnect with the public and 'listen to their issues' amid growing unrest. This planned protest surge follows a bruising Supreme Court ruling last week, which upheld the Election Commission's controversial refusal to allot PTI reserved parliamentary seats for women and minorities – a blow directly tied to the party losing its electoral symbol ahead of the February 2024 general elections. Forced to run as independents, PTI-backed candidates won the most general seats but were denied the proportional reserved seats by the ECP, triggering fierce backlash. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
PHC orders reserved seats reallocation
Listen to article The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday annulled the distribution of reserved seats in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly and ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to redistribute the seats after hearing the parties. A two-member bench, comprising Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Dr Khurshid Iqbal, announced the reserved judgment on the petition of the PML-N against the distribution of reserved seats. In its two-page judgment, the court declared null and void both the announcements of the ECP regarding the allocation of reserved seats for women and minorities. It said the ECP should reallocate these seats after hearing all candidates and political parties within 10 days. The court delayed the oath-taking of the lawmakers on the reserved seats until the ECP decision. The court also ruled that ECP's deadline for the independent candidates to join any political party in the provincial assembly by February 22, 2024, was unconstitutional. The K-P Assembly comprises 124 lawmakers – 99 elected on general seats, besides 21 reserved seats for women and four reserved seats for non-Muslims. The reserved seats are allocated only to the political parties in the house based on their strength. After the general elections on February 8, 2024 the ECP allocated the reserved seats to the political parties, excluding the independents, who were PTI-backed, and formed majority in the house. However, the matter dragged for over a year in the courts, until it was settled in the Supreme Court recently. The PHC ruling directed the ECP to redistribute these seats after hearing the PML-N, the JUI-F, the PPP, the ANP and the PTI-Parliamentarians. Earlier, during the hearing, ECP Special Secretary Law Muhammad Arshad, ECP lawyer Mohsin Kamran, PML-N lawyer Aamir Javed and Barrister Saqib Raza, JUI lawyer Naveed Akhtar and Farooq Afridi appeared in the court. The petitioner's lawyer argued that the ECP counted six PML-N members – five elected on general seats and one independent joining the party within three days of stipulated time – and distributed the reserved seats, accordingly, through a notification issued on February 22, 2024. However, he continued, notifications of the election victories of some candidates were still pending by that time. He added that the notification of Malik Tariq Awan's victory was issued on February 22, who joined the PML-N on February 23 – well within the three days of timeframe. This raised the PML-N's strength in the house to seven, the lawyer told the court. Similarly, he added, the ECP issued a separate notification for allocation of reserved seats for minorities on March 4 and again the PML-N's six seats were counted, as Awan was declared an independent. As per the distribution, lawyer stated, one minority seat was given to the JUI, one to the PML-N and one to the PPP, while one seat was left vacant, which would have been decided through tossing of the coin. He added that the party moved the ECP and claimed that it had seven seats in the house. Overall, lawyer Aamir Javed told the court, the ECP gave 10 reserved seats to the JUI based on its seven general seats in the assembly, while the PML-N was given eight reserved seats on the strength of seven general seats, by counting its six seats. The petitioner's lawyer said that the party did not want postponement of the Senate elections which was due later this month. He requested that if the court wanted to send the matter to the ECP, then the election supervisor should be bound to decide the matter within three days. When asked by Justice Ali as to how the ECP could distribute the seats when the process was not complete, the ECP special secretary said that the assembly session had to be held 21 days after the election. He added that ECP allocated the seats based on the party positions on February 22, 2024. The JUI lawyer took the position that the party whose seats were challenged should be made a party to the case. Naveed Advocate said that JUI was not party and he was representing Gujral Singh, who was elected on a reserved seats. After hearing the matter, the court reserved its ruling, which was announced later in the day. The court also annulled the notification regarding Gujral Singh, dated March 26, 2024.
