- KP CM says govt-opposition alliance only for Senate polls.
- Announces action to be taken against disgruntled PTI leaders.
- “Reserved seats members to take oath at Governor’s House.”
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur clarified on Sunday that the deal between the government and the opposition remained intact for the Senate seats despite disgruntled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders rejecting the seat adjustment.
“MPAs-elect on reserved seats are taking oath at the Governor’s House as per the court [Peshawar High Court] directives,” said Gandapur after attending a session attended by the government and opposition leaders, including Opposition Leader Dr Ibadullah and KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati.
It is noteworthy to mention here that the PHC Chief Justice Syed Muhammad Atique Shah appointed KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi to administer the oath to reserved seats members in the provincial assembly after the speaker adjourned the session till July 24 due to a lack of quorum.
The development comes after the opposition MPAs filed a petition in the PHC, urging the chief justice to nominate an authority to oversee the oath-taking process without further delay.
The swearing-in is a key procedural requirement to complete the electoral college for upcoming Senate elections.
CM Gandapur assured that there will be no deceit between the government and the opposition and defended the deal as a “very good decision in the province’s history”.
He was of the view that the PTI adopted the same strategy in the Punjab’s Senate elections. “We will put through the same formula decided by PTI founder [Imran Khan],” he added.
“Our alliance with the opposition is only for the Senate polls,” said Gandapur.
He also announced that action will be taken against the disgruntled candidates as they caused damage for the party by not withdrawing their nomination papers.
A total of five PTI candidates had refused to withdraw their papers from the upper house polls slated for Monday.
“Rejecting Imran Khan’s decisions is tantamount to opposing the PTI founder,” he said, adding that the decisions were taken as per incarcerated ex-PM Khan’s directives.
CM Gandapur said the ruling PTI will now secure six Senate seats and the opposition will get five seats under the deal.
The PTI candidates, who opposed the deal for Senate seats, include Irfan Saleem, Khurram Zeeshan and Waqas Orakzai are hoping for a general seat, former additional inspector general of police Syed Irshad Hussain, is a candidate for the seat reserved for technocrats and Ayesha Bano is a candidate for the reserved seats for women.
They rejected the party leadership’s directive to step aside under a 6-5 formula that allocates six Senate seats to the PTI and five to the opposition parties.
