PESHAWAR: Opposition parties in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly have worked out a formula for the distribution of tickets for the March 3 Senate elections under which they will get one ticket each.

The Jamaat-i-Islami has been excluded from the process.

The decision was made during the meeting of the provincial leaders of the Pakistan Democratic Movement, an alliance of 10 opposition parties, at the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl’s provincial secretariat here on Monday.

The participants completed consultation for the Senate election and long march on Islamabad next month.

Addressing a joint news conference of the opposition parties, JUI-F provincial chief Maulana Attaur Rehman, who is also his party’s candidate for the Senate election, said the opposition had reached an agreement for the Senate polls.

He said four parties of the opposition in the KP Assembly, including PPP, PML-N, JUI-F and ANP, would get one ticket each.

Mr Rehman said the PDM’s central leadership would decide about which party to get general, technocrat, women’s and minority seats.

He said the opposition in the KP Assembly would win four seats in the Senate polls.

The Jamaat-i-Islami, which is part of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) and has three votes in the KP Assembly, has yet to decide about whether to strike a deal with the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) or join the opposition for the Senate elections.

Insiders said the PDM would constitute a committee to negotiate with the Jamaat to seek its support.

As for the parties’ strength in the KP Assembly, the PTI has 94 votes, Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (JUI-F-JI) 14, ANP 12, PML-N six, PPP five, Balochistan Awami Party and independents four each, JUI-F three and Jamaat-i-Islami one.

Speaking on the occasion, PPP provincial president Hamayun Khan claimed that the disgruntled MPAs of the ruling PTI were in contact with the opposition parties for the Senate polls.

He said the candidates of opposition parties would get votes of the angry PTI lawmakers.

Mr Hamayun said the PDM rejected the government’s committee tasked with probing the video scandal on horse-trading in the March 2018 Senate elections.

Mr Rehman demanded resignation of National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar and Defence Minister Pervez Khattak for their alleged involvement in the distribution of cash among lawmakers at the Speaker’s House in Peshawar.

He said the former PTI lawmakers had named Asad Qaisar and former chief minister Pervez Khattak for the distribution cash to lawmakers.

The JUI-F leader said his party would stage protests in the province on Feb 26 against price hike.

He said preparations were in full swing for marching on Islamabad and that the anti-government movement would continue until the premier stepped down.

Meanwhile, 51 nomination papers were filed with provincial election commissioner Sharifullah for the 12 Senate seats from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as the last date to file nomination papers expired on Monday.

The scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on Feb 17 and 18, whereas polling will be held on Mar 3.

According to the Election Commission of Pakistan, 22 nomination papers were filed for seven general seats, 11 for two seats reserved for technocrats, 13 for two other seats.

Some senators, whose term in office is set to expire next month, also filed nomination papers. They included Mohsin Aziz, Zeeshan Khanzada and Liaqat Khan Tarakai of the PTI and Taj Mohammad Afridi (independent).

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2021