PESHAWAR; In a significant political development in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 25 newly elected members on reserved seats were sworn in as members of the KP Assembly on Saturday.
The oath-taking ceremony was held at the Governor House in Peshawar and was administered by Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, following a directive issued by the Peshawar High Court (PHC).
This landmark event follows weeks of legal and political wrangling over the delay in administering oaths to lawmakers elected on reserved seats after the February 2024 general elections.
Opposition parties, including Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and others, had approached the PHC seeking enforcement of their members’ right to take the oath.
In response, the court ordered the KP Governor to carry out the swearing-in process, bypassing the Speaker of the Assembly, who had previously withheld the ceremony.
The event was attended by several prominent political leaders, including PML-N provincial president Amir Muqam, KP Assembly Opposition Leader Dr. Ibad, JUI-F parliamentary leader Maulana Lutfur Rehman, and other MPAs such as Sardar Muhammad Ali Bacha, Razaullah Chagharmati, Malik Tariq, and Jalal Khan.
The ceremony not only restored legislative rights to the reserved seat members but also added a new dynamic to the evolving power balance within the KP Assembly.
Of the 25 members sworn in, 21 represent women’s reserved seats while four were elected on minority seats. JUI secured the largest share with nine seats—seven women and two minority representatives.
PML-N followed with eight seats, including seven women and one minority member. PPP secured five seats—four women and one minority representative. The Awami National Party (ANP) had two women members sworn in, while one woman lawmaker took the oath from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians (PTI-P).
This oath-taking marks a crucial turning point in the KP Assembly, where the balance of power has been contested following the February 2024 general elections. While PTI-backed independents had won the majority of general seats, they faced challenges forming a government due to withheld reserved seats, legal hurdles, and court interventions.
The Peshawar High Court’s decision to direct the Governor to administer the oath was seen as a rebuke to the KP Assembly Speaker’s delaying tactics, which opposition parties claimed were politically motivated. Chief Justice of the PHC formally nominated the Governor for the task, emphasizing the constitutional rights of elected representatives and the democratic mandate of voters.
