The Senate elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) are expected to proceed without opposition after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) formally approved the list of candidates endorsed by party founder Imran Khan. The PTI political committee, in its Friday meeting, ratified the nominees proposed earlier by the party’s parliamentary board, paving the way for an uncontested election. This decision follows a broader consensus between the provincial government and opposition parties.
According to the official announcement, PTI has nominated Murad Saeed, Faisal Javed, Mirza Khan Afridi, and Pir Noorul Haq Qadri for the general seats. Rubina Naz will compete for the reserved women’s seat, while Azam Khan Swati has been fielded for the technocrat seat. Additionally, Mishaal Yousafzai will contest for the seat left vacant by former minister Sania Nishtar. The party also confirmed that dissenting members who had initially filed nomination papers have agreed to withdraw.
Earlier in the day, disgruntled PTI candidates held separate meetings with KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur but reportedly refused to step aside until the political committee finalized its decision. Last week, the KP government and opposition reached an agreement on an uncontested election under a 5/6 seat-sharing formula, granting PTI six seats and the opposition five.
With PTI’s internal differences resolved and opposition parties on board, KP is now set to witness a rare unopposed Senate election. The development marks a significant political milestone, ensuring a peaceful transition of seats without electoral competition.