- JUI-F, PML-N, PPP have all gained force through women, minority seats.
- Two independents supporting the opposition, further strengthening its position.
- The head of the OPP says that no official decision, but suggests that the current PTI budget may be the last.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the opposition alliance is close to a simple majority because it is only 20 seats to switch the balance of powers in the provincial assembly.
The government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI) currently has 92 seats, while the number of the opposition increased to 53, after the restoration of the reserved seats after a verdict of the Supreme Court.
The KP assembly has a total force of 145, but for the moment, there are 115 elected members. Of the other 30, 26 seats are reserved for women and four for minorities.
On Wednesday, the Pakistan Electoral Commission (ECP) published a notification concerning the seats reserved after the verdict of June 27 given by the Constitutional Banc of the Supreme Court on Wednesday.
After the court’s decision, the ECP restored the reserved seats, strengthening the position of the opposition within the Assembly.
Jamiat Ulema-E-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), which had seven elected members, received 10 women and two minority seats, bringing its total to 19.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which started with six elected members, has obtained nine reserved seats and is now 15.
The count of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) went from four to 11 after receiving 6 women and 1 minority seat.
PTI parliamentarians now have three seats, against two, and the National Awami Party (ANP) also has three seats after obtaining a reserved seat.
In addition, two independent members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAS) – Hisham Inamullah and Ali Haider – are aligned with the opposition alliance, further strengthening their position.
To form a simple majority, a party or an alliance needs support of at least 73 members. With 52 confirmed members and the support of the two independents, the opposition still requires the rest of the seats to reach this threshold.
Talk to PK Press Club NewsThe KP opposition chief said that even if they had not yet made an official decision, they would need around 18 to 20 more members for the majority.
He noted that during the budgetary session, they had clearly indicated that it was the 12th and last budget of PTI, “unless the KP government is seriously focused on governance and public order”. “We are not there for the good,” he said.
