PESHAWAR: With four out of five dissenting PTI candidates pulling out, the path is now clear for the Senate elections in KP to proceed under a government-opposition deal for unopposed seats.
Among the estranged PTI Senate candidates, Irfan Saleem, Ayesha Bano, Irshad Hussain, and Waqas Orakzai have pulled out of the contest.
All had been nominated by the party but were reportedly unhappy with the internal selection process.
Only one nominee, Khurram Zeeshan, has refused to withdraw.
Irshad Hussain, who had filed papers for the technocrat slot, formally wrote to the Election Commission of Pakistan, asking to have his name removed.
In his letter, he said the decision was made in line with directions from the party leadership and the PTI founder.
“I do not wish to contest,” he wrote. “Please drop my name from the Senate election list.”
Waqas Orakzai also confirmed his withdrawal, saying it did not mean he had stepped away from his ideology.
He added that PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar and legal adviser Salman Akram Raja had assured him that all Senate nominees had been approved by the party founder.
The Senate vote in KP has been mired in internal party rifts, with several PTI figures raising concerns over transparency and candidate selection.
It’s worth noting that 25 members elected on reserved seats of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly took oath on Sunday.
With the swearing-in of members on reserved seats, the provincial assembly is now complete, forming the electoral college required for the Senate elections.
Polling for 11 Senate seats is set to take place today (July 21), with 25 candidates in the running. The PTI government and opposition have agreed to jointly field candidates against one disgruntled PTI nominee.
Under the agreement, six seats will go to the government and five to the opposition.
A total of 145 provincial lawmakers will cast their votes in the election.
