The historic voting to elect 11 esteemed members of the Senate has officially commenced within the prestigious halls of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. This follows a collaborative and strategic agreement between the ruling PTI and the opposition parties, establishing a 6-5 seat distribution formula.
According to the meticulous timeline set by the Election Commission of Pakistan, the lively polling began at exactly 11:00 am and will energetically continue until 4:00 pm.
Within the walls of the KP Assembly, the Jirga Hall has been designated as the official polling station for this crucial election by the ECP. Adding to the day’s significance, an ‘unprecedented’ step was taken by Governor Faisal Karim Kundi when he administered the oath to 25 opposition MPAs, elected on reserved seats, marking the completion of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.
Today, the stage is set for the Senate elections for 11 vacant seats, made possible by the strategic withdrawal of four PTI dissenters, thereby smoothing the path for both government and opposition candidates to secure their positions unopposed. A total of 145 diligent members of the provincial assembly are anticipated to cast their essential votes in this pivotal election.
The agreed distribution bestows six of the valuable Senate seats to the government, while five will be celebrated by the opposition. The ruling party, demonstrating a commitment to discipline, has issued instructions for its lawmakers to arrive promptly at the Assembly Secretariat by 9:00 am to ensure timely participation in the voting process.
Earlier in a strategic move, four out of the five dissenting candidates of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced their withdrawal from the Senate election. The candidates stepping away include Waqas Orakzai, Irshad Hussain, Irfan Saleem, and Ayesha Bano, their decision aligning seamlessly with the guidance from the party’s founder.