KP Governor swears in 25 reserved seats opposition MPAs ahead of Senate polls

PESHAWAR: Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi administered the oath to 25 newly elected opposition members of the KP Assembly on reserved seats during a ceremony held at the Governor House on Sunday.

The swearing-in came after the Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) had nominated Governor Faisal Karim Kundi to administer the oath to newly elected members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Assembly on reserved seats for women and non-Muslims.

Among those sworn in were 7 women and 1 minority member from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), 7 women and 2 minority members from the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), 4 women and 1 minority member from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), 2 women from the Awami National Party (ANP), and one woman member from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians (PTI-P).

The PML-N’s newly sworn-in members included Farah Khan, Amna Sardar, Faiza Malik, Shazia Jadoon, Afshan Hussain, Jamila Paracha, Sonia Hussain, and Suresh Kumar. The JUI-F was represented by Bilquis, Sitara Afreen, Aiman Jaleel, Madiha Gul, Rabia Shaheen, Nilofer Begum, Naheed Noor, Askar Parvez, and Gurpal Singh.

From the PPP, Shazia Tehmas, Sajida Tabassum, Meher Sultana, Ashbar Jan Jadoon, and Bihari Lal took the oath. ANP’s Khadeeja Bibi and Shahida Waheed also took oath, while Nadia Sher was sworn in as PTI-P’s representative on the reserved women’s seat.

Earlier, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly session, scheduled today, was postponed until July 24, 2025 due to a lack of quorum, prompting the ECP to formally request the Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court to nominate a suitable individual for administering the oath.

According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) spokesman, the Senate polling process is set to begin on Monday at 11:00 AM in the Jirga Hall. The swearing-in was a key procedural requirement to complete the electoral college for the Senate elections.

Earlier today, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly session, presided over by Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, began amidst protests by opposition members, including female lawmakers who also demonstrated inside the assembly.

At the session, KP Assembly opposition leader Dr. 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.