PTI Gains Narrow Majority in KP Senate Elections Amid Seat-Sharing Agreement
Peshawar: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won six of the eleven seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in a closely watched Senate election, giving them a slender majority. The opposition alliance won the other five seats through a pre-negotiated agreement. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has finalized the results, which represent a major political shift in the province.
PTI’s Key Wins
Prominent PTI leader Murad Saeed emerged victorious with 26 votes, followed by Faisal Javed, who secured 22 votes. Other successful PTI candidates included:
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Noorul Haq Qadri (21 votes)
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Mirza Gul Afridi (21 votes)
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Azam Swati (Technocrat seat – 89 votes)
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Rubina Naz (Women’s reserved seat – 89 votes)
Opposition’s Performance
The opposition, comprising the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), secured five seats:
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Talha Mahmood (PPP) – General seat (17 votes)
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Niaz Ahmed (PML-N) – General seat (18 votes)
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Atta-ul-Haq Darvesh (JUI-F) – General seat (18 votes)
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Dilawar Khan (JUI-F) – Technocrat seat (54 votes)
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Rubina Khalid (PPP) – Women’s reserved seat
Seat-Sharing Agreement & Voting Process
The elections followed a 6-5 seat distribution formula agreed upon by the PTI-led provincial government and the opposition to ensure balanced representation in the Senate. Under the arrangement:
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PTI contested four general, one technocrat, and one women’s seat.
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The opposition fielded candidates for three general, one technocrat, and one women’s seat.
A total of 145 members of the KP Assembly cast their votes—92 from the ruling coalition and 53 from the opposition. Lawmakers voted using a ranked preference system in line with the agreed formula.
Challenges & Controversies
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Dissident Tensions: Some PTI members initially resisted the party line, but most were persuaded to comply. However, Khurram Zeeshan’s refusal to withdraw his candidacy forced a contested vote on certain seats.
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Media Blackout: Journalists and news channels were barred from the assembly premises, drawing criticism. Assembly security cited ECP directives for the restriction, attributing it to security and neutrality concerns.
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Delayed Polls: The elections, originally set for April 2, 2024, were postponed due to delays in oath-taking for reserved seat members, which left the electoral college incomplete.
Political Implications
The outcomes allow the opposition to maintain a presence in the Senate while solidifying PTI’s grasp over KP. The prearranged seat-sharing is a reflection of Pakistan’s changing political landscape, where candidacies in upper-house elections are frequently overshadowed by backroom deals.
Although wider political stability is still dependent on events at the national level, PTI’s gains in the Senate could have an impact on upcoming legislative procedures.