Twenty-five MPAs-elect of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa opposition were sworn into office on Sunday after KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi administered their oaths, reported 24NewsHDTV channel. Earlier, they could not take their oaths on reserved seats due to a lack of quorum in the provincial assembly.
Earlier, Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court has nominated the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to administer the oath on reserved seats, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Sunday. The Peshawar High Court issued a notification of nomination for the governor to administer the oath.
The chief justice directed the governor to administer the oath to newly elected members and 25 members to administer the oath on reserved seats of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. Speaker Babar Saleem Swati did not administer the oath to newly elected members during the assembly session today. The speaker adjourned the session till 24th July 2020 without taking any action on the issue of quorum.
Earlier, the Election Commission of Pakistan wrote another letter to the Registrar of Peshawar High regarding the oath-taking on reserved seats of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.
In the morning today, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly session adjourned shortly after it began due to lack of quorum, and 25 members could not take oath on reserved seats.
The quorum was pointed out by PTI member Sher Ali Afridi, and the opposition protested. Speaker Babar Saleem Swati said that the number of opposition members is 25, so the quorum is not complete.
The speaker rang the bells, but the members did not come to the house, after which he adjourned the session until July 24.
Members of 25 reserved seats in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly were to take oath today, including 21 women and 4 minority members. The opposition raised a fuss over quorum being pointed out.
Later, the leader of the Opposition in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Dr Ibadullah, talking to the media, said the province is in the hands of political minors and KP has not been represented in the Senate for one and a half years.
He said it is the responsibility of the government to fulfil the quorum, but the government, claiming a two-thirds majority, could not fulfil the quorum. He said minorities are not represented in the House.
On the other hand, the election for the vacant Senate seat in the Punjab Assembly will be held on Monday. The government candidate has the support of 261 votes, while the opposition has the support of 108 votes.
The total number of seats in the Punjab Assembly is 371, while two seats are vacant and the total number of votes for the election is 369. The total number of votes for the PML-N is 229, votes for the PPP is 16, the PML-Q is 11, and the PML-Z has one vote.
The Sunni Ittehad Council has 75 votes; the number of independent votes in the Punjab Assembly is 28. The Tehreek-e-Labbaik and Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen have one vote each, while the Istihkam Pakistan Party has seven votes, and a total of 184.5 votes are required for success.
Four candidates are contesting for the Senate seat, including the Pakistan Muslim League-N candidate, Hafiz Abdul Karim, and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf candidate, Mehr Abdul Sattar. Khadija Siddiqui and Ijaz Minhas are independent candidates.
Punjab Senate by-elections: ECP issues strict code of conduct
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued a strict code of conduct ahead of the upcoming Senate by-elections in Punjab. The guidelines apply to political parties, candidates, election agents, and voters, with the aim of ensuring transparent and tamper-free voting.
As part of the new regulations, carrying mobile phones or any electronic devices inside the polling station is strictly prohibited. The commission has taken a firm stance on ballot secrecy, declaring that capturing or sharing images of the ballot paper is also completely forbidden.
These steps are intended to protect the integrity of the electoral process and prevent any form of coercion, manipulation, or undue influence within the voting premises.
Election officials have reiterated that violations of the code will be met with swift legal and disciplinary action. All involved stakeholders have been urged to fully cooperate with electoral staff and security personnel to maintain order throughout the polling day.
Reporters: Shahid Jan, Usman Khan, and Usman Khadim Kamboh