KP Senate polls held in transparent manner: ECP

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has maintained that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Senate elections were conducted impartially in accordance with the Constitution and law.

In a statement issued here, a ECP spokesperson said that no objections were raised by the polling agents of any of the candidates during the polling process for the KP Senate elections.

“The ballot box was placed in full view of everyone in the KP Assembly during voting.”

The ECP added that the election staff provided ballot papers to members as per the law, and members of the assembly filled out their ballot papers at the polling booth and deposited them in the ballot box.

The elections followed a strategic agreement between the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), backed by 92 MPAs, and the opposition, supported by 53 MPAs, to avoid a tough-contested race.

Out of the seven general seats, PTI candidates emerged victorious on four, while the opposition secured three. PTI’s Murad Saeed secured most number of votes (26), followed by party colleague Faisal Javed and Mirza Mohammad Afridi as they secured 22 and 21 votes, respectively.

PTI’s Noorul Haq Qadri has also been elected as Senator after securing 21 votes.

The opposition’s victorious candidates included Niaz Ahmad of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Talha Mahmood of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), and Attaul Haq Darvesh of Jamiat Ulema-e-Isam (JUI-F).

Out of the two women’s reserved seats, the PTI and PPP secured one seat each. PTI’s Rubina Naz won convincingly with 89 votes, while the PPP Rubina Khalid secured the second seat with 52 votes.

On the two technocrat seats, PTI’s Azam Swati emerged victorious with 89 votes, while JUI-F’s Dilawar Khan won with 54 votes.