PESHAWAR: Babar Salim Swati of the Sunni Ittehad Council elected as speaker of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Thursday.
Babar Salim secured 89 votes against Ehsanullah Khan of the PPP backed by PML-N, PTI-P, and ANP. The JUI-F lawmakers didn’t participate in the election.
The Deputy Speaker’s position will be contested between Saroya Bibi,who is elected from PK-1 Chitral, of the Sunni Ittehad Council and Arbab Waseem of the PTI parliamentarians.
Babar Salim Swati is likely to receive more than ninety votes, ensuring no obstacle in his election as Speaker.
There is a possibility of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam boycotting the Speaker and Deputy Speaker elections.
Babar Salim Swati was elected as a member of the provincial assembly from PK-37. In the the 2018 general elections, he also secured victory by defeating Zahoor Ahmed of the Muslim League-N in both elections.
Two members of the provincial assembly, Abdul Manan Khan and Laiq Muhammad Khan, will take the oath today.
The Election Commission has announced the success of Abdul Manan Khan and Laiq Muhammad Khan.”
It’s worth mentioning that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly comprises 30 reserved seats, including 26 for women and four for minorities, highlighting the province’s commitment to inclusivity and representation.
In the February 8 general elections, PTI-backed candidates emerged victorious with 86 seats, followed by JUI-F with 7, PPP with 4, PMLN with 5, and independent candidates securing 5 seats, out of which two joined PTI while three aligned with PML-N.
