Peshawar, July 20, 2025: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice Syed Muhammad Atique Shah on Sunday authorized Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi to administer the oath to reserved seat members of the provincial assembly, after the KP Assembly session was abruptly adjourned due to a lack of quorum amid a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) boycott.
The decision followed a petition filed by opposition MPAs, urging the court to appoint an authority to facilitate the long-delayed oath-taking. Responding to the court’s directive, Governor Kundi announced via social media that he would administer the oath at 6:00 pm at the Governor House in Peshawar.
The KP Assembly session earlier in the day was disrupted shortly after it began, when PTI MPA Sher Ali Afridi pointed out the absence of quorum. Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, who initiated the sitting after a delay of over two hours, suspended the proceedings following a brief headcount and adjourned the house until July 24.
The quorum disruption came after the PTI’s parliamentary party in KP resolved to boycott the session, further delaying the swearing-in of 25 reserved seat members — 21 women and four minority representatives.
Opposition lawmakers strongly condemned the move, especially as it occurred during the Quranic recitation. “You cannot point out quorum during Tilawat,” a PML-N MPA protested. “We’ve been denied our right to take oath for two years,” she added.
Leader of the Opposition Dr Ibadullah Khan warned that the speaker’s actions were obstructing constitutional process and vowed to seek further legal remedies. “If the oath isn’t taken now, it should happen later today,” he said, underscoring the opposition’s commitment to safeguarding democratic rights and institutional balance.
Following the PHC’s directives, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) confirmed that Senate polls in KP would proceed as scheduled at 11:00 am on Monday in the Jirga Hall. The swearing-in of reserved seat members is essential to completing the electoral college for these elections.
The ECP also directed the KP Inspector General of Police, the chief secretary, and the Inspector General of Frontier Constabulary to ensure strict security arrangements for Monday’s electoral proceedings.
Meanwhile, internal divisions within PTI have escalated as several party members rebelled over Senate ticket allocations. A formula agreed earlier this week allocated six seats to PTI and five to the opposition, but five covering candidates have refused to withdraw in protest.
Negotiations between Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and disgruntled candidates failed to produce a consensus, with rebels demanding that one seat each from JUI-F and PPP be reclaimed before withdrawing. The standoff continued into a second round of late-night talks, which also ended without resolution.
Defiant candidates include Irfan Saleem, Khurram Zeeshan, and Waqas Orakzai for general seats, Syed Irshad Hussain for the technocrat seat, and Ayesha Bano for the women’s seat.
The opposition’s nominees include Talha Mahmood, Atta-ul-Haq Dervish, Rubina Khalid, Dilawar Khan, and Niaz Ahmad.
The rebellion took a public turn when former PTI Peshawar City President Rehman Jalal warned the leadership at a press conference to revise the ticket list or face protests. Party workers have launched a strong campaign on social media demanding nominations for loyal activists, particularly Khurram Zeeshan, Irfan Saleem, and Ayesha Bano.
Irfan Saleem currently serves as PTI Peshawar District President; Ayesha Bano is a former MPA and KP vice president of the party; while Khurram Zeeshan, a former civil judge and practicing lawyer, played a critical role in securing bail for detained PTI workers after the May 9 protests.
The internal discord now threatens the possibility of unopposed Senate elections in KP — a scenario that seemed viable just days ago under the government-opposition consensus.
