Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Central Information Secretary, Faisal Karim Kundi, announced on Friday that opposition parties in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) intend to seek intervention from the relevant court and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to convene a provincial assembly session.
This decision follows the statement made by provincial Food Minister Zahir Shah Toru, who declared that the KP Assembly session scheduled for today will not proceed due to what he termed as the “illegal step” taken by KP Governor Haji Ghulam Ali in summoning the session.
Toru criticized the governor’s action, asserting that the letter issued to summon the assembly session was unlawful. He mentioned that despite seeking the opinion of the law department, they have yet to receive a response. Toru further emphasized that the governor should remain impartial and refrain from aligning with the opposition, suggesting that Governor Ali should resign if he is unclear about his authority.
Meanwhile, Kundi, speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, revealed that his party had written to the KP Assembly speaker, prompting the governor to request the assembly session. Expressing concerns over reserved seats being allocated to the opposition, Kundi urged the KP Assembly speaker to administer oaths to successful candidates on reserved seats, emphasizing the need for parties to address their election-related grievances through appropriate channels.
The KP governor’s decision to summon the assembly session was in response to a request from opposition parties, particularly regarding the oath-taking of members-elect on women and minority reserved seats. However, the ruling party sought legal advice on the matter and also approached the court against a notification regarding opposition party MPAs on all reserved seats.
The oath-taking of KP Assembly members on reserved seats holds significant importance for both the ruling and opposition parties, particularly in light of the upcoming Senate polls scheduled for April 2, wherein 11 seats from the province will be filled. The Sunni Ittehad Council, holding a majority in the house, aims to delay the oath-taking process, potentially impacting the outcome of the Senate elections. While the ruling party eyes Senate seats, opposition parties seek to secure their desired representation in the upper house of parliament by administering oaths to the elected MPAs before the Senate polls.
