Kundi eyes five seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Senate polls

ISLAMABAD: Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Friday said they were aiming at getting [at least] five seats in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Senate elections scheduled for July 21, after the opposition received a massive boost thanks to the reserved seats judgment.

He predicted that the PPP would gain a technocrat seat and the JUI-F a general one. His party was contesting a general seats as well as one for the women, he told reporters after visiting JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman at his Islamabad residence.

Commenting on the inner politics of PTI, Kundi remarked that the party had two chapters — one in Islamabad and the other in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He told reporters that making or breaking of alliance was part of politics and again stated that a no-confidence motion in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was their right, when and if they were able to obtain the required numbers.

WHAT IS AT STAKE

As the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced the date for the much-awaited Senate polls, political parties are ramping up efforts to increase their share in the Upper House of the Parliament.

Meanwhile, the possible two-thirds majority in the Parliament is an additional incentive for the ruling alliance in the Centre, as it will enable the Shehbaz Sharif-led government to introduce constitutional amendments.

It is the reason why a PPP delegation met Maulana to ensure that the opposition in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Senate polls could present a joint front against the PTI, the ruling party in the province.

Meanwhile, the PPP isn’t alone to reach out to the JUI-F chief given his party’s strength in the provincial legislature.

On Wednesday, Rana Sanaullah, special assistant to the prime minister, met Fazl with an offer similar to that of the PPP.

Given his political acumen and understanding of power politics, Maulana reportedly advised the PML-N leader to also take the PPP on board.

OPTIONS FOR PTI

But there is another conundrum. The PTI may try delaying the polls by ensuring the new members elected on the reserved seats are unable to take oath — the basic requirement to participate in the exercise.

Read more: Senate polls on 21st to fill 11 seats from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

That’s why Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati hasn’t yet summoned the session for the purpose despite clear directions from the ECP.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur is trying his best to ensure that there are no defections in the PTI by offering them special incentives.

However, his task isn’t easy.

A dissident group of the party has nominated Advocate Mishal Yousafzai for the Senate seat vacated by Sania Nishtar, despite opposition from Gandapur.

This seat is in addition to the 11 on offer in the July 21 polls.