A tumultuous session took place as 115 newly elected representatives of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly took their oaths on Wednesday. The meeting was called by KP Governor Ghulam Ali at the advice of caretaker Chief Minister Syed Arshad Hussain Shah. This is the third provincial assembly to swear in its members following the general elections on February 8.
It is worth noting that the previous assembly was dissolved in January 2023, leaving the province without a legislature for over 13 months.
The session, scheduled to begin at 11am, was delayed by over an hour due to protests by PTI workers and party-backed lawmakers, now representing the Sunni Ittehad Council. The session finally commenced around 1pm with Mushtaq Ghani, the outgoing Speaker of the KP Assembly, officiating.
The newly elected members, including those from PTI, JUI-F, PML-N, PPP, PTI-Parliamentarians, and independents, were sworn in. Ali Amin Gandapur, PTI’s nominee for KP chief minister, was among those who took their oath, entering the assembly with a PTI flag and a photo of imprisoned PTI founder Imran Khan.
Ghani announced that voting for the election of Speaker and Deputy Speaker would take place the next day. He also mentioned the nomination process for these positions.
Prior to the session, PTI supporters filled the gallery, chanting slogans in support of Imran Khan. Some PTI lawmakers created a ruckus, throwing objects at opposition members. Outside the assembly, PTI Senator Faisal Javed thanked the public for their support and promised to restore the health card in the province.