In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the opposition alliance is approaching a simple majority, now requiring just 20 more seats to tip the balance of power within the provincial assembly.
The incumbent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led government currently holds 92 seats, while the opposition’s strength has increased to 53, following the restoration of reserved seats subsequent to a Supreme Court verdict.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has a total strength of 145 members, though currently there are 115 elected members. Of the remaining 30, 26 seats are reserved for women and four for minorities.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday issued a notification regarding these reserved seats, in line with the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench verdict delivered on June 27. This court ruling led the ECP to reinstate the reserved seats, significantly bolstering the opposition’s standing within the assembly.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), which previously had seven elected members, gained 10 women and two minority seats, bringing its total to 19. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), initially with six elected members, acquired nine reserved seats, now standing at 15. The Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) tally rose from four to 11 after being allocated 6 women and 1 minority seat. PTI Parliamentarians now hold three seats, up from two, and the Awami National Party (ANP) also has three seats after securing one reserved seat.
Furthermore, two independent Members of Provincial Assembly (MPAs), Hisham Inamullah and Ali Haider, are aligned with the opposition alliance, further solidifying their position.
To achieve a simple majority, a party or alliance requires the support of at least 73 members. With 52 confirmed members and the backing of the two independents, the opposition still needs the remaining seats to reach this threshold.
Speaking to Geo News, the opposition leader in KP stated that while no formal decision has been made yet, they would require approximately 18-20 more members to secure a majority. He noted that during the budget session, they had made it clear that this was PTI’s 12th and final budget, “unless the KP government seriously focuses on governance and law and order.” He concluded by saying, “We’re not in it for the sake of it.”
