Governor Appointed for Oath-Taking Amid KP Assembly Deadlock
PESHAWAR – In a major development, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) has authorized Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi to administer the oath to members elected on reserved seats in the KP Assembly, after Sunday’s assembly session was adjourned due to lack of quorum caused by a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) boycott.
The decision came just hours after opposition lawmakers filed a petition in the PHC requesting urgent action. Chief Justice Syed Muhammad Atique Shah acted swiftly, appointing the governor to ensure the constitutional process is not delayed any further.
PTI Boycott Cripples Assembly Proceedings
The KP Assembly session, already delayed by over two hours, was adjourned shortly after it began when PTI MPA Sher Ali Afridi pointed out the lack of quorum. Despite a five-minute bell break, attendance remained insufficient, leading Speaker Babar Saleem Swati to adjourn the session until July 24.
PTI’s boycott followed a decision made earlier in the day by its provincial parliamentary party, which instructed all members to skip the session. As a result, 21 women and four minority members were unable to take their long-delayed oath of office.
Opposition MPAs strongly criticized the disruption, especially during the recitation of the Holy Quran, with one PML-N lawmaker declaring:
“You cannot point out quorum during the recitation. We’ve been denied our right to take the oath for two years.”
Opposition Vows Legal Recourse, PHC Intervenes
Dr. Ibadullah Khan, Leader of the Opposition in the KP Assembly, condemned the speaker’s decision and reiterated his resolve to seek justice through legal channels.“If the oath isn’t taken now, it should at least happen later this evening,” he told the media.
He emphasized the opposition’s commitment to preserving Pakistan’s remaining democratic space. Following their petition, the PHC appointed Governor Faisal Karim Kundi as the authority to administer the oath, bypassing further parliamentary delays.
This move aims to resolve the months-long standoff that has prevented reserved seat members from assuming their roles, effectively blocking representation for women and minority communities in KP’s legislative process.
