PPP, JUI-F Eye Senate Gains with KP Seat Deal

News Desk

Islamabad: As the Senate elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa draw near, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) have initiated discussions for possible seat adjustments, The News reported on Saturday.

A PPP delegation led by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi held a meeting with JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman at his residence.

The PPP side included senior leaders Syed Khursheed Shah and Zahir Shah, while the JUI-F was represented by Akram Khan Durrani, Maulana Lutfur Rehman, Maulana Asad Mahmood, Zahid Durrani, and Asjad Mahmood.

According to a statement from the JUI-F spokesperson, the meeting focused on consultations regarding the upcoming Senate polls in the KP Assembly.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Governor Kundi said the dialogue was part of broader efforts to build consensus among opposition parties in a bid to secure more seats in the Senate.

He also noted that the PPP, during its previous tenure, had taken measures to curb horse-trading in Senate elections.

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Highlighting the dynamic nature of political alliances in the country, Kundi cited past interactions between the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Maulana Fazlur Rehman as an example of shifting loyalties in Pakistan’s political landscape.

The Senate elections in KP are scheduled for July 21, with polling to take place from 9 am to 4 pm at the provincial assembly building in Peshawar. Elections will be held for seven general seats, two reserved for women, and two for technocrats, including Ulema.

Earlier this year, the Senate elections in KP were postponed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) after the speaker of the provincial assembly failed to administer oaths to five opposition women MPAs-elect. The ECP warned at the time that if court orders regarding the oath-taking were not followed, it would be forced to delay the polls.

Consequently, while elections were held on April 2 in other provinces and Islamabad—resulting in the ruling coalition securing 19 seats—the KP polls were officially postponed. In that round, the PPP won 11 seats, PML-N claimed six, MQM-P secured one, and independent candidate Faisal Vawda also won a seat.