Reserved seats oath-taking uncertainty; KP Assembly session postponed

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, scheduled to begin at 9 AM today, faced a delay of over two hours, with proceedings beginning at midday. The delay came despite the presence of newly elected members on reserved seats, who had arrived to take their oaths.

Even when the session began, the lack of necessary quorum caused KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati to seek opposition’s opinion on postponing the session. Afterwards, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly session was adjourned till Thursday (July 24).

A total of 25 members elected on special (reserved) seats were expected to be sworn in during the session today. The quorum was identified when the session began, with government MPA Sher Ali Afridi flagging the issue.

Following this, PPP Parliamentary Leader Ahmed Karim Kundi shared his views on the matter. Acting on the identification of the quorum, Speaker Babar Saleem Swati instructed a count, confirming that only 25 members were present, much below the required strength, leading him to order the bells to be rung.

As the quorum was deemed broken, tensions rose, prompting opposition members to stage a protest in front of the speaker’s desk and chant slogans against his actions. In response to the disruption, Speaker Swati asked the opposition leader whether the session should be adjourned. The opposition leader then demanded the postponement of the session.

Speaking to media, after the postponement of the session, Opposition Leader Dr Ibadullah Khan said about the provincial government, “If they had done their job, we wouldn’t have had to go to court. I appeal to the Chief Justice to exercise his authority. There are 93 members but they cannot fulfill the quorum.”

He also spoke on the upcoming senate elections, saying that the “elections will be held and they will be held under the formula.” He also announced that the opposition parties will be moving High Court now. “We are applying to the Chief Justice for the oath-taking ceremony,” he said.

Earlier, before the Assembly session, Dr Ibadullah had expressed hope that the oath would be administered today. “These are political people. They will not adjourn the session without fulfilling the quorum and completing the oath-taking process,” he said.

Dr Ibadullah also criticised the government for the delay, saying, “The government must not make a mockery of the mothers and sisters who have come here from across the province to assume their constitutional responsibilities.”

He further remarked that the Opposition had held discussions with the government regarding the upcoming Senate elections, saying, “We’ve spoken on five or six key points. If the government cannot withdraw its candidates, we are ready for the elections.”

Addressing the political impasse, Dr Ibadullah said, “We can expect anything from PTI,” and added, “It is not our job to convince their members about the Senate vote.”

If the session fails to proceed today, Dr Ibadullah noted that the oath-taking could be rescheduled for this evening or tomorrow morning.

Also read: Govt, opposition unite in KP to block PTI dissidents in Senate elections