PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Peshawar districtpresident Irfan Saleem has got the party’s ticket to contest the upcoming Senate election from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Mr Saleem, a diehard party worker, had filed his nomination papers for Senate seat several times in the past as well. However, the party leadership forced him to withdraw his nomination papers.

A notification issued here said that a meeting of the parliamentary board constituted for the finalisation of the PTI nominee for the forthcoming Senate elections from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sohail Khan Afridi on the directions of provincial party president Junaid Akbar Khan.

It said that Mr Afridi emphasised that the party must stand by those workers and leaders who remained loyal to it in difficult times, made sacrifices for the movement, and upheld the cause embodied in the vision of its founder Imran Khan.

The CM acknowledged that the matter under consideration involved a difficult decision, as many deserving applicants had rendered valuable services and sacrifices for the party, and he appreciated all those who had applied.

“After detailed and thoughtful deliberations, the Parliamentary Board unanimously decided to finalise Mr. Irfan Saleem as Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s candidate for the forthcoming Senate election from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” it said.

The board noted that the decision about the candidate was reached after careful consideration of a large number of deserving applicants who have served the party with commitment, sacrifice, and steadfastness.

It also instructed PTI leaders Sajjad Mohmand, Ghulam Badshah Bhittani and Sardar Khan to file their nomination papers as covering candidates for Irfan Saleem.

The board paid tribute to all applicants for their commitment, sacrifices and steadfastness and reaffirmed that the strength of PTI lies in those who stood firm with the party through every trial.

The slot of the upper house from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa vacated when the Election Commission of Pakistan disqualified the PTI’s senator Murad Saeed.

According to the ECP’s schedule, polling will be held on April 23, from 9am to 4pm at the provincial assembly’s building in Peshawar.

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2026