Barrister Muhammad Saif, Adviser to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister on Information, on Tuesday urged Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to demonstrate moral courage by refusing to accept the reserved seats. “If the opposition parties have even the slightest moral courage, they will refuse to take reserved seats which are only PTI’s right but have been put up for ‘auction’,” Saif asserted. Welcoming ANP’s Amir Haider Hoti’s statement regarding not accepting the reserved seats, the KP CM’s aide remarked, “Fazlur Rehman should also show moral courage like [ANP’s] Amir Haider Hoti.”
Saif’s comments refer to the Supreme Court’s June 27 verdict, which declared the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ineligible for reserved seats. Subsequently, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) reinstated five reserved seats for women in the National Assembly from KP. The electoral body also restored 21 reserved seats for women in the KP Assembly, allocating eight to JUI-F, six to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and five to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). Furthermore, the ECP has announced a revised schedule for Senate elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, setting July 21 as the new polling date.
Beyond the Senate elections, the allocation of reserved seats holds significant importance for the future of the CM Ali Amin Gandapur-led KP government, which could potentially face a no-confidence motion. This prospect poses a serious threat to the PTI, as the opposition is only 20 seats away from altering the balance of power in the provincial assembly. The KP Assembly has a total strength of 145 members, with 115 currently elected. Of the remaining 30 seats, 26 are reserved for women and four for minorities.
Following the reallocations, the JUI-F, which initially had seven elected members, now holds a total of 19 seats after receiving 10 women’s and two minority seats. The PML-N, starting with six elected members, has increased its strength to 15 after gaining nine reserved seats. Similarly, the PPP has risen from four to 11 seats after being allocated six women’s and one minority seat.
Commenting further on the reserved seats situation, Barrister Saif recalled that Maulana Fazl had also abandoned the PTI during the 26th Constitutional Amendment. “First the mandate of PTI was stolen through Form 47 and now the reserved seats are also being distributed among others,” Saif remarked. He concluded by stating that despite employing every tactic to eliminate the PTI, the federal government has ultimately failed.
