Polling is underway today in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provincial assembly for a by-election to fill a vacant Senate seat, which became open following the disqualification of Shibli Faraz.
Members of the provincial assembly are casting their votes in a session scheduled to run from 9 AM to 4 PM without any breaks.
This election has shaped up as a significant political contest between the government and the opposition. The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has nominated Khurram Zeeshan as its official candidate, with Irfan Saleem as a covering candidate.
He is being challenged by Taj Muhammad Afridi, who is running as an independent but has secured the crucial backing of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the broader opposition.
To win the seat, a candidate requires a simple majority of 73 votes from the 145-member provincial assembly.
Based on the current party positions, the ruling government holds a distinct advantage. The PTI and its allies command a strong majority with 92 members in the assembly, while the combined opposition holds 53 members. This numerical strength places the PTI’s candidate, Khurram Zeeshan, in a commanding position to win the seat.
