Peshawar( The COW News Digital)Senate elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) are set to proceed unopposed, as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s political committee has confirmed its list of candidates, formally approved by both the political and parliamentary wings of the party.
The decision was finalized during a high-level PTI political committee meeting held on Friday, where the names initially proposed by PTI founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan were endorsed. The move confirms that PTI’s nominated candidates will not face any intra-party or external competition, paving the way for uncontested elections in the province.
According to the official PTI statement, the finalized candidates for the general seats are Murad Saeed, Faisal Javed, Mirza Khan Afridi, and Pir Noor-ul-Haq Qadri. For the women’s reserved seat, Rubeena Naz has been nominated, while the technocrat seat will go to Azam Swati. Additionally, Mashal Yousafzai has been selected to fill the seat vacated by Dr. Sania Nishtar.
The committee also reported that dissenting party members, who had earlier filed nomination papers independently, have now decided to withdraw their candidacies. This development follows back-to-back meetings held on Friday between these disgruntled aspirants and KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who was initially unsuccessful in persuading them to step down. Ultimately, the political committee’s decision prevailed as binding.
Prior to this internal resolution, the KP government and opposition had already agreed on a 5/6 seat-sharing formula to avoid a contested Senate election. Under this arrangement, PTI will claim six seats, while the opposition parties will receive five. The consensus marked a rare moment of cooperation amid an otherwise polarized political landscape.
Analysts view this uncontested Senate election as a strategic move by PTI to avoid party fragmentation and maintain a unified front, especially as it seeks to consolidate power in KP and regain national political influence. The withdrawal of rebel candidates indicates successful internal negotiations and party discipline despite underlying tensions.
This development comes amid heightened political activity across the country as multiple parties prepare for upcoming elections and seek to realign power balances in both provincial and national assemblies.
