ISLAMABAD: Opposition lawmakers in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province protested on Sunday after the assembly’s session was adjourned without the oath-taking of members on reserved parliamentary seats for women and minorities. 

The matter of reserved seats has become a controversial one in Pakistan. The country’s top court ruled in June that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan was not entitled to reserved seats in the national and provincial legislatures. 

The dispute about the reserved seats stems from the February 8 general elections, where PTI candidates contested as independents after the party lost its electoral symbol for not holding valid intra-party elections, as required under the Elections Act. Despite winning the most general seats in the national polls, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ruled that PTI was ineligible for reserved seats for women and minorities in parliament, which are allocated based on proportional representation from among the seats won by political parties.

The reserved seats were then allocated to other political parties, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party and its coalition partners. At least 21 women and four minority members were supposed to take oath as members of the KP Assembly on reserved seats today, Sunday, as per local media reports.

“New members poised to take their oath on reserved seats in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly were unable to do so today due to a lack of quorum, forcing the session to be adjourned,” state television channel PTV News reported.

The reserved seats were crucial for the PTI, which is the largest party in KP and has formed its government in the northwestern province consecutively since 2013.

According to state media, PTI lawmaker Sher Ali Afridi highlighted the lack of quorum early in the session. As attendance remained insufficient, Speaker Babar Saleem Swati adjourned proceedings until 2:00 p.m. on July 24.

“Addressing media in Peshawar, Leader of the Opposition Dr. Ibaadullah sharply criticized the provincial government, stating it was ‘playing with the assembly,’” PTV News reported.

“He lamented that the province has been deprived of its due representation in the Senate for more than a year. “

KP GOVERNOR TO ADMINISTER OATH

Following the delay, KP opposition lawmakers filed a petition at the Peshawar High Court, urging the chief justice to nominate an authority to administer the oath to lawmakers on reserved seats. 

The PHC subsequently issued an order seen by Arab News, in which it nominated KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi to administer the oath to the lawmakers “at the earliest.”

PTI’s KP chapter criticized the verdict on social media platform X. 

“The judiciary is supposed to be a pillar of the state, but unfortunately, Pakistan’s judiciary has been reduced to a subordinate institution that people use for their own interests,” it wrote, sharing a copy of the PHC’s order. 

The addition of new lawmakers in KP Assembly opposed to the PTI will numerically strengthen the opposition while dealing yet another blow to Khan’s party. 

The former prime minister’s party has faced legal and political challenges since the downfall of its administration in a no-confidence vote in April 2022.

Khan’s party launched a 90-day “do-or-die” anti-government protest drive earlier this month, saying it would reach its “peak” on August 5, marking two years since the former premier was jailed on corruption charges.