Senate Elections in KP: Fears of Horse-Trading Rise Again

A political agreement between the government and opposition in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly was meant to ensure unopposed Senate elections on July 21. Under this deal, six seats would go to the government and five to the opposition. However, fears of horse-trading have resurfaced as some disgruntled PTI candidates have refused to withdraw their nomination papers.

This isn’t the first time such concerns have emerged. In the 2018 Senate elections, despite having a majority, PTI failed to win seats in proportion to its strength in the assembly. Instead, opposition parties like the PPP gained more seats than expected, allegedly due to PTI lawmakers voting against party lines.

In the past, 19 PTI lawmakers were expelled from the party on the orders of PTI founder Imran Khan for voting for rival candidates. That episode exposed internal party divisions and the vulnerability of the Senate voting system to secret ballot manipulation.

Now, with PTI dissident candidates like Irfan Saleem refusing to withdraw, the elections will be held through a secret ballot. This raises concerns once again that some PTI assembly members may vote against official party instructions, possibly enabling horse-trading.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has warned that if the dissident candidates fail to step down, disciplinary action will be taken. But with internal tensions and past voting history, it remains uncertain whether the party can fully control the outcome.