PESHAWAR(National Times)- The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and opposition parties have reached an understanding to hold uncontested Senate elections, sources confirmed on Friday. Under the agreement, six candidates from the PTI and five from the opposition are set to be elected unopposed.  The development was confirmed by the Opposition Leader in the KP Assembly Dr Ibadullah.  The opposition’s nominees comprise Talha Mehmood, Attaul Haq, Rubina Khalid, Dilawar Khan, and Niaz Ahmad. PTI’s candidates to be elected unopposed include Murad Saeed, Faisal Javed, Mirza Afridi, Noor-ul-Haq Qadri, Azam Swati, and Rubina Naz. Following the final round of late-night negotiations in the provincial capital, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur recorded a video message confirming the consensus in the presence of opposition leaders. The chief minister also reached out to PTI’s discontented members in an attempt to address their concerns and secure broader consensus. The meeting was attended by Senator Talha Mehmood, Ataul Haq Darwesh, MPA Sajjadullah, and Dr Ibadullah of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), among other opposition figures. Meanwhile, the opposition has resolved its internal rifts, with the PML-N withdrawing its nominee in favour of the JUI-F’s candidate for the minority seat. In a related development, CM Gandapur signed a summary to summon a session of the provincial assembly on July 20 and forwarded it to Governor Faisal Karim Kundi. During the sitting, newly elected members on reserved seats for women and minorities are expected to take oath, according to sources.

PTI’s internal divisions persist

The ruling party has decided to establish a three-member committee to manage dissent within its ranks. Separately, PTI members including Irfan Saleem, Khurram Zeeshan and Ayesha Bano, who have been denied Senate tickets, have opted not to withdraw their candidacies, as disclosed during a meeting of the party’s covering candidates. The trio met PTI Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja and voiced frustration over the nomination process. Raja is scheduled to meet CM Gandapur later today, accompanied by the aggrieved leaders, to present their objections, sources added.