The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has released a new party position for reserved seats in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly. This update came after the commission accepted a petition filed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) regarding reserved seats. As a result, one reserved seat for women was taken from JUI-F and PPP, and one was granted to PML-N.
With this change, PML-N and JUI-F now each hold nine reserved seats in the KP Assembly. PPP has five reserved seats, while Awami National Party (ANP) and PTI Parliamentarians (PTI-P) each have one. The ECP has also declared all members of Sunni Ittehad Council and PTI as independents, increasing the number of independent members in the assembly to 91.
The decision also affects one minority seat, which will now be decided by a coin toss between PML-N and JUI-F. Similarly, a women’s reserved seat will be decided by a toss between ANP and PTI-P. These decisions are part of the final ruling on the distribution of KP’s reserved seats following the February 2024 general elections.
On July 14, the ECP had reserved its verdict after hearing arguments from five political parties and 21 candidates. The five-member bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, reviewed all sides before making a final decision. The announcement followed intense legal and political debate over the allocation of reserved seats.
This reshuffle is expected to influence future legislation and coalition dynamics in the KP Assembly. With many members now considered independents, the power balance has shifted, giving PML-N and JUI-F more influence on critical votes.