PESHAWAR: The first session of the 12th Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly is set to commence today at 11 am.
Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Haji Ghulam Ali, has convened the assembly meeting as per the constitutional mandate outlined in Article 109 of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
During this pivotal session, a pro-tem speaker will administer the oath to the 118 newly elected Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs) out of the total 145 members of the legislative body.
Among the sworn-in MPs, 88 belong to the Sunni Ittehad Council, 7 to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), 8 to Pakistan Muslim League, 4 to Pakistan People’s Party, 2 to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians, one to Awami National Party, and one to Wehdat-ul-Muslamin.
Moreover, two women members from JUI, two from PMLN, and one from PPP will take the oath on reserved women’s seats, while the remaining 21 seats will remain vacant pending further decisions.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has already notified five out of 26 women seats, with notifications for the remaining 21 reserved women and four minorities seats pending. The electoral body is deliberating on the allocation of reserved seats to the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) after its alliance with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Furthermore, the elections for two general seats, PK-8 Bajaur and PK-91 Kohat, were postponed following the unfortunate demise of the candidates. The new election schedule will be determined by the Election Commission.
During this session, nomination papers for the slot of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker will be issued today.
Ali Amin Khan Gandapur and Aqibullah Khan were nominated for slots of CM and Speaker while newly elected member from Chitral would likely to be nominated as Deputy Speaker.
The invitations for the assembly session have been issued to dignitaries and guests to witness the oath-taking ceremony. Limited media passes have also been distributed to ensure coverage of this significant event.
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.
