The Senate elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) are scheduled for July 21, 2025, but all eyes are on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as the party is expected to lose three of its confirmed Senate seats. This could be a major setback for PTI, which previously held a dominant position in the provincial assembly.
According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), elections will be held for 7 general seats, 2 women’s seats, 2 technocrat seats, and 1 seat for Ulema. These polls will take place inside the KP Assembly building in Peshawar. Despite holding a numerical majority, PTI’s internal rifts and the impact of reserved seats have weakened its Senate bid.
Earlier, the Senate elections were postponed in April 2024 because several members elected on reserved seats did not take their oaths. This left the electoral college incomplete, making fair polling impossible. Now, with the situation resolved, the ECP has resumed the process. PTI currently holds 92 out of 145 seats, while the opposition has 53. If reserved seats had not been restored, the opposition could win only one seat. However, due to new calculations, PTI may only secure 7 seats, far fewer than expected.
Additionally, the ECP has issued a fresh schedule for the seat vacated by Sania Nishtar. The public notice will be issued on July 9, nomination papers will be collected on July 10 and 11, scrutiny will occur on July 16, and the final polling will take place on July 31, 2025. This schedule will allow all eligible candidates to participate in a transparent process.
Meanwhile, the commission has also restarted the election process for the seat left vacant by late Senator Sajid Mir. That election was also delayed earlier due to similar issues with the electoral college. With polls now rescheduled, Senate representation from KP is set to change, and PTI will need to strategize quickly to avoid further political damage.