Senate polls: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s reserved seats issue persists

PESHAWAR: With just two days remaining until the Senate elections, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly finds itself embroiled in a deadlock over the issue of reserved seats, hindering the oath-taking process of its members.

Despite directives from both the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the Peshawar High Court (PHC), the assembly session has yet to be convened, casting a shadow over the imminent Senate polls.

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Sources reveal that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government appears hesitant to administer the oath of office to certain seats ahead of the Senate elections. The contentious seats in concern were claimed by Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) but were eventually denied. Now, if the oaths are taken on those seats, it would lead to increase in the number of opposition candidates. This is why the provincial government is hesitant to administer oaths.

The ECP and the PHC issued directives for the assembly session to be convened and oaths administered, in the absence of which the senate elections in the province will be delayed.

In response, acting on a proposal put forth by the Law Department and the Insaf Lawyers Forum, the provincial government has opted to escalate the matter to the Supreme Court, with plans to approach the court on Monday.

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Azam Swati, a senate candidate representing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has filed a challenge against the ECP’s decision in the PHC. Swati contends that postponing the Senate elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is illegal, as asserted in the petition filed.

The challenge also calls for the annulment of the Election Commission’s decision dated March 26, advocating for the Senate elections to proceed as scheduled on April 2.

Swati further alleged oversight by the ECP in his petition, claiming that the electoral body did not heed the concerns raised by Senate candidates.

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Moreover, Swati stresses that the Election Commission’s decision threatens to disrupt the entire Senate election process in the province, urging the court to intervene to safeguard the constitutional responsibility of ensuring timely Senate elections.