Plea seeking Senate elections in KP fixed for hearing

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) fixed a petition, filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) seeking Senate elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), for hearing, ARY News reported.

The petition was filed by PTI’s Azam Swati who maintained that the Senate elections have not yet taken place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa along with the polls in other provinces.

PTI leader Azam Swati in his plea said that the ECP decided without hearing the candidates contesting the Senate election.

A two-member PHC bench comprising Justice SM Attique Shah and Justice Shakeel Ahmed will hear the plea on Thursday.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Senate elections was held across the country except Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on April 2. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) postponed the polls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following the application of the opposition members.

Provincial Election Commissioner Shamshad Khan after consulting with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja had announced the postponement of Senate elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The opposition members moved the ECP as the dispute over the swearing-in of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly’s opposition members elected to reserved seats remains unresolved.

Led by Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) Ahmad Karim Kundi, the opposition highlighted concerns over the non-swearing-in of 25 members, asserting that this could impact the fairness of the electoral process.