On Wednesday, the newly elected representatives to the assemblies of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were sworn in.
Approximately 115 recently elected lawmakers in KP took the oath of office amid a boisterous session. KP Governor Ghulam Ali called the provincial assembly meeting last week on the recommendation of Syed Arshad Hussain Shah, the acting chief minister.
It should be noted that KP has been operating without the provincial legislature for more than 13 months when the previous assembly was dissolved in January 2023.
The Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) members who support the PTI and shouted chants like “Qaidi #804 [prisoner number 804]” and “Long Live Imran Khan” caused the protests and rioting that caused the session to start almost an hour later than expected.
Finally, just after 1pm, the session got underway, with outgoing KP Assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ghani presiding over it. He began by praying for the elite ranks of martyrs who had given their lives in defense of the nation.
After that, he congratulated the MPAs-elect and gave them the oath in Urdu. A total of 87 PTI-backed SIC lawmakers, nine JUI-F members, eight PML-N members, five PPP members, two PTI legislators, and four independents were among the members who were sworn in.
Ali Amin Gandapur, the PTI’s candidate for KP chief minister, was one among the numerous MPAs sworn in during the session. He brought a framed picture of PTI founder Imran Khan, who is currently imprisoned, and entered the assembly with a PTI flag draped over his shoulders.
Following the oath, Ghani said that tomorrow, February 29, at 10 a.m., voting would go place to determine the speaker and deputy speaker. He also mentioned that nomination papers might be withdrawn by 11 p.m. today or submitted by 5 p.m. today.
Following the announcements, PTI supporters’ slogans resonated throughout the house as the newly elected MPAs stamped the electoral roll in alphabetical order.
Sobia Shahid, a PML-N MPA, raised a watch in the house during the hearing, seemingly alluding to the Toshakhana allusion in which Imran is found guilty. A lota and a water bottle were hurled at her as she waved the watch.
Additionally, a few MPs supported by the PTI moved up in front of the speaker’s dais and carried signs bearing pro-Imran phrases. A framed portrait of the previous prime minister was also clutched by them.
Omer Ayub Khan of the PTI announced separately that Imran had selected Babar Salim Swati to be the party’s nominee for speaker of the KP Assembly. Swati is the MPA for PK-37 and the divisional president of the PTI in Hazara.
PTI Senator Faisal Javed congratulated the public for voting for Imran in large numbers and for handing him a “hat-trick” in the province during a media conference held outside the KP Assembly.
Javed also pledged that as soon as the PTI took over, the province’s health card will be reinstated.
Assembly of Balochistan
At 3 pm, the Balochistan Assembly met after being called to order by Governor Malik Abdul Wali Khan Kakar. Special security measures were put in place inside and outside the assembly building prior to the meeting.
Zamrak Khan Achakzai, a senior assembly member, presided over the meeting when departing speaker Mir Jan Muhammad Khan Jamali withdrew due to health issues and other obligations.
Today marked the swearing in of over 57 recently elected members of the Balochistan Assembly.
In the meantime, because they were not in Quetta, ex federal minister Sarfraz Bugti, former chief minister of Balochistan Jam Kamal Khan, and Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani did not attend the meeting.
After taking the oath, Achakzai declared that a secret ballot election will take held tomorrow at 3 p.m. to elect the speaker and deputy speaker of the Balochistan Assembly. He also said that nomination forms can be submitted by Thursday at noon for the position.
MPA Ghazala Gola has been nominated by the PPP to be the deputy speaker of the Balochistan Assembly.
Supporters of the four-party alliance—Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Balochistan National Party-Mengal, National Party, and Hazara Democratic Party—gathered in front of the Quetta Metropolitan Corporation ahead of today’s provincial legislature meeting to voice their opposition to alleged election manipulation on February 8.
Later, the demonstrators attempted to march towards the Balochistan Assembly but were halted when police used containers to block access to the GPO Chowk.
Assembly officials had made the decision the day before to forbid visitors from the inaugural meeting of the provincial legislature on February 28 in light of security concerns.
