PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Sunday designated Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Governor Faisal Karim Kundi to administer the oath to members elected on reserved seats, following a petition filed by opposition parties after the KP Assembly session was adjourned due to lack of quorum.
The petition, submitted via the PHC registrar by parties including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), urged the court to appoint an official for administering the oath, as the elected members on reserved seats had not yet been sworn in.
The KP Assembly session, which commenced after a two-and-a-half-hour delay, was chaired by Speaker Babar Saleem Swati. However, it was quickly adjourned until July 24 after PTI member Sher Ali Afridi highlighted the absence of quorum. This disruption left the oath-taking of 25 reserved seat members — including 21 women and 4 minority representatives — in limbo, casting doubt over the Senate elections scheduled for July 21.
The boycotted session followed internal unrest within PTI. Law Minister Aftab Alam confirmed that the PTI parliamentary party had decided to stay away, citing growing dissatisfaction among members. Among those expected to take the oath were women from JUI-F, PML-N, PPP, ANP, and PTI-P, and minority representatives from JUI-F, PML-N, and PPP.
Guest attendance was restricted due to the anticipated importance of the session.
Opposition Leader Dr Ibadullah, speaking to media prior to the session, expressed confidence that the oath would be administered — if not immediately, then soon. He warned that if further delays occurred, the opposition would return to court. He also stated that a formula had been agreed upon between the opposition and government for the Senate polls, and dismissed PTI’s internal issues as irrelevant to their strategy.
Meanwhile, PTI faces internal divisions, with several dissident Senate candidates, including Irfan Saleem, Waqas Orakzai, Khurram Zeeshan, Irshad Hussain, and Ayesha Bano, refusing to withdraw. Mardan MPA Tariq Mahmood and ex-minister Shakeel Khan have publicly supported Irfan Saleem, highlighting deep rifts within the party.
