PTI Clinches Six Senate Seats In KP, Opposition Takes Five Amid Consensus-based Formula To Avoid Horse Trading

In a tightly free and transparent Senate election held in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) emerged with a narrow edge over the opposition, securing six out of eleven seats under a seat-sharing agreement brokered between the provincial government and opposition parties to avoid horse trading

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Jul, 2025) In a tightly free and transparent Senate election held in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) emerged with a narrow edge over the opposition, securing six out of eleven seats under a seat-sharing agreement brokered between the provincial government and opposition parties to avoid horse trading.

The vote, held amid intense political maneuvering and internal negotiations, saw all 145 members of the KP Assembly casting their ballots.

As agreed upon, the PTI-led ruling coalition claimed six seats while the opposition alliance walked away with five.bringing the contest to a relatively peaceful conclusion despite earlier tensions.

Out of the seven general seats, PTI clinched four through its high-profile candidates. Murad Saeed led the pack with 26 votes, followed by Faisal Javed (22), Noorul Haq Qadri (21), and Mirza Afridi (21).

According to ECP, the remaining three general seats went to the opposition candidates includes Niaz Amir Muqam of PML-N secured 18 votes, while JUI-F’s Maulana Attaul Haq Darwaish and PPP’s Talha Mehmood were also elected.

On the two reserved seats for women, Rubina Naz of PTI won comfortably with 89 votes, while PPP’s Rubina Khalid followed with 52 votes, securing the opposition's share. Independent candidate Mehwish Ali and PTI’s Ayesha Bano.who had earlier withdrawn remained on the ballot but did not pose a significant challenge.

For technocrat seats, PTI’s Azam Swati garnered the highest count with 89 votes. JUI-F’s Dilawar Khan followed with 54, ensuring a 1-1 split between government and opposition on these seats as well.

The contest included additional independent and disgruntled PTI candidates, but none could make a significant impact.

The outcome followed a quiet but intense period of negotiation between KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and various factions within the PTI, as well as with opposition parties. Despite efforts to maintain party unity, not all disgruntled PTI aspirants withdrew.

While Irfan Saleem, Waqas Orakzai, and Ayesha Bano stepped aside after talks with Gandapur, Khurram Zeeshan refused to withdraw and remained on the ballot.

Additionally, several Names on the ballot had been officially withdrawn but appeared with a "retired" stamp, as per the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) protocol, due to withdrawal after the deadline.

Polling began at 11:00 am and was scheduled to continue until 4:00 pm, but voting was extended until 5:30 pm to accommodate all lawmakers. The Jirga Hall of the KP Assembly served as the official polling station, equipped with two booths for voting.

The process, however, was marked by tight security and restricted media access. Journalists were denied entry into the assembly premises, prompting a sit-in protest by media representatives outside the building.

The KP Assembly Secretariat confirmed the move was in line with the ECP’s directive to restrict coverage inside the polling area.

According to the ECP, a total of 22 candidates contested across the 11 Senate seats, including 16 on General Seats, 5 on Technocrat Seats and 4 on women’s Seats.

The final results reflect a rare consensus in KP politics, with both sides honoring the 6-5 seat-sharing formula and avoiding a prolonged dispute.

The newly elected senators from KP will now join the upper house of Parliament at a critical time, as the national political climate remains charged and coalition politics take center stage.

The Senate results from KP may also signal a broader shift in provincial alignments ahead of future legislative battles.

Ali Amin Gandapur, Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said that senate election was successfully completed and the result was expected one.

Dr Ebadullah Khan, opposition leader in KP Assembly said that today was success of people of Khyber Pakthunkhwa.

He said problems of KP will be raised with strong voices in Senate of Pakistan.

APP/fam