ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR; The Supreme Court’s constitutional bench has dismissed a plea seeking suspension of the Senate by-election schedule for the seat left vacant after the disqualification of PTI leader Syed Shibli Faraz.
A five-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, heard the petition on Wednesday. The bench nullified the earlier decision of the Peshawar High Court (PHC), which had indefinitely adjourned the case, and directed the high court to decide the pending petition of Shibli Faraz after hearing all respondents.
Rejecting the plea to halt the by-election, the Supreme Court observed that it would not interfere in the Senate electoral process. During the hearing, PTI’s Barrister Gohar requested the suspension of the election schedule, citing that the polling for the vacant seat was scheduled for Thursday.
Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi questioned why PTI was seeking a stay order despite having already nominated a candidate for the by-election. Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail remarked that the party’s nomination was made out of necessity.
Following the Supreme Court’s ruling, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) confirmed that all arrangements for the by-election had been completed.
According to the Provincial Election Commissioner’s office, polling for the Senate’s general seat from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will take place on Thursday, October 30, 2025, inside the Provincial Assembly building. The election will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Three candidates — Taj Muhammad Afridi, Khurram Zeeshan, and Irfan Saleem — are in the contest, while Abid Khan Yousafzai and Nisar Khan have withdrawn.
Provincial Election Commissioner Saeed Gul will serve as the Returning Officer, with Joint Provincial Election Commissioner Muhammad Farid Afridi, Director Elections Muhammad Nadeem Khan, and other senior officials designated as polling officers.
