KP assembly oathtaking session postponed due to lack of quorum

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly session, scheduled for Sunday (today), was postponed until July 24, 2025 due to a lack of quorum, delaying the oath-taking of members elected on reserved seats for women and minorities, ARY News reported.

As per details, Speaker Babar Saleem Swati adjourned the session after confirming insufficient attendance.

The opposition leader Ibadullah, expressed frustration over the delay, accusing the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of deliberately obstructing the process.

Ibadullah criticized the government, stating, “Political juveniles have been running KP for 12 years,” and accused them of calling sessions at odd hours, like midnight, for unconstitutional purposes.

He emphasized that the oath-taking, though delayed, is inevitable, saying, “If it doesn’t happen now, it will happen later.”

Ibadullah highlighted the absence of KP’s representation in the Senate for the past one and a half years, blaming the provincial government’s leadership, whom he called “politically immature.” He stressed that no one can stop the oath-taking on reserved seats and that ensuring a quorum is the government’s responsibility.

Regarding the upcoming Senate elections on July 21, he noted that a pre-agreed formula between the government and opposition would guide the process, despite KP’s poor track record in Senate elections.

Commenting on internal PTI dynamics, Dr. Ibadullah remarked, “PTI is a strange party; everyone gives different statements. Who is the leader, and whose word should we follow?”

He also mentioned that negotiations for the Senate elections were conducted with party leaders, not individual candidates, and an unopposed election would be a positive outcome. The opposition plans to approach the Chief Justice to ensure the oath-taking process is completed.

Earlier, all candidates in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Senate elections were elected unopposed following a mutual agreement between the provincial government and opposition

According to sources, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) resolved its internal disputes over covering candidates, with all dissenting PTI candidates withdrawing their nomination papers.

The election results align with a pre-agreed formula, allocating six Senate seats to PTI and five to the opposition. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) will each secure two seats, while the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will gain one seat.

The development came after deep divisions emerged within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the controversial distribution of Senate election tickets, with party organizers threatening protests if their demands are not met.