Ahead of the upcoming Senate elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), scheduled for July 21, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has informed the province’s Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur that newly notified MPAs on reserved seats cannot attend assembly sessions or vote in the Senate polls until they are formally sworn in.
In official letters addressed to the governor and chief minister, ECP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan stressed the urgent need to convene a provincial assembly session for the oath-taking of elected candidates on reserved seats for women and non-Muslims. He emphasized that this step is essential for the completion of the electoral college, a constitutional requirement for the Senate elections.
The ECP secretary highlighted that a notification for successful candidates on reserved seats was issued on July 2, 2025, yet these members remain unsworn, preventing their participation in assembly proceedings, including the Senate vote.
Earlier, the ECP had contacted the Speaker of the KP Assembly on July 4, requesting the oath be administered. However, the speaker responded that no session is currently in progress and he does not have the authority to call one.
Referring to Article 109 of the Constitution, the ECP secretary reminded the governor that he holds the power to summon a provincial assembly session at his discretion. In his letter, he formally requested the governor to exercise this authority and call a session immediately, enabling the speaker to administer the oath and allow the conduct of the Senate elections as per constitutional obligations.
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In a separate letter to the chief minister, the ECP further urged him to advise the governor to summon the session under Articles 105 and 130 of the Constitution, to fulfill the legal prerequisites for completing the electoral college.
The secretary also cited a ruling by the Peshawar High Court, dated March 27, 2024, in the case Shazia Tamash Khan vs. Federation of Pakistan, which directed the KP Chief Minister and provincial cabinet to take all necessary steps under Article 105 for the summoning of the assembly and administering of oaths to reserved seat members.