Twenty-five members elected to reserved seats in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly took their oaths at the Governor House on Sunday, following a direct directive from the Peshawar High Court (PHC).
Governor Faisal Karim Kundi administered the oath during a ceremony held in Peshawar, which was attended by newly elected women and minority members of the provincial legislature.
This event concluded a protracted deadlock in the assembly, which began when a Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) member raised an objection about the absence of quorum, effectively delaying the oath-taking process.
According to officials, the swearing-in ceremony was initially slated to take place during the KP Assembly session earlier the same day.
However, the session, chaired by Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, was adjourned almost immediately after it commenced when PTI member Sher Ali Afridi flagged the quorum issue. The session was subsequently postponed until July 24.
This disruption caused significant concern among opposition parties, who then approached the PHC. They urged the court to ensure the timely swearing-in of members elected on reserved seats—a crucial prerequisite for holding the Senate elections that were scheduled for Sunday (July 21).
The petitioners argued that any further delay could impede the electoral process for the 11 vacant Senate seats allocated to the province.
In response, PHC Chief Justice SM Atiq Shah nominated Governor Faisal Karim Kundi to oversee and administer the oath-taking procedure. The court also directed the KP Assembly Secretary to cooperate fully and provide the necessary roll of members for the administration of the oath.
A total of 21 women and four members from minority communities were sworn in at the Governor House. The female lawmakers who took the oath included Farah Khan, Amna Sardar, Faiza Malik, Shazia Jadoon, Afshan Hussain, Jamila Paracha, Sonia Hussain, Bilqis, Sitara Afreen, Aiman Jalil Jan, Madiha Gul Afridi, Rabia Shaheen, Niloofar Begum, Naheed Noor, Shazia Tahmas, Sajida Tabassum, Meher Sultana, Ashbar Jan Jadoon, Farzana Shireen, Khadija Bibi, and Shahida Waheed.
Among those sworn in on minority seats were Askar Pervez, Gurpal Singh Afridi, Suresh Kumar, and Bihari Lal. Nadia Sher of PTI-Parliamentarians also officially took oath as a member of the KP Assembly.
Speaking after the ceremony, Governor Kundi strongly criticized the obstruction, labeling it “a shameful act” and a detriment to democratic principles. “Preventing elected representatives from taking their constitutional oath is regrettable. The PTI-led government has once again attempted to derail the democratic process,” he asserted.
The Governor expressed his gratitude to the PHC for granting him the authority to administer the oath, adding that the sanctity of democratic norms must be protected at all costs.
The Election Commission of Pakistan had previously voiced its concern over the delay, having written to the PHC and formally requesting its intervention. It had warned that a failure to administer the oath could jeopardize the Senate elections due the following day, as the participation of a full house is a constitutional requirement.
