Opposition determined to not give SIC walkover in K-P Assembly

Ahead of the upcoming elections for key positions in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, opposition parties have announced their intent to field candidates for the roles of chief minister, speaker, and deputy speaker.

The decision was reached in a meeting, during which the opposition parties vowed to reveal their nominees before the maiden assembly session scheduled to be held on February 28 (Wednesday) for the oath-taking of the newly elected members.

With a combined strength of 25 members in the provincial legislature, the opposition parties are gearing up to contest against the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), which boasts more than 80 members.

Despite the numerical advantage of the SIC, the opposition is determined to compete for the positions of chief minister, speaker, and deputy speaker.

The attempts to clinch the coveted slots come as the scenario in the provincial assembly shifted drastically when out of the total 115 general seats, a substantial 91 were clinched by independent candidates, with a predominant affiliation to PTI.

Read also: K-P Assembly may meet on Feb 27

Notably, 87 of these independent winners, previously aligned with PTI, have joined the SIC, a party that failed to secure any general seat in the provincial legislature.

Should the ECP rule in favour of the PTI, nearly all the reserved seats are poised to be allocated to the SIC. Nevertheless, observers reckon that if the ECP determines that these seats are ineligible for distribution among independents who are mandated to join only parties with legislative representation, a substantial constitutional crisis could emerge.

Meanwhile, sources within the opposition reveal that the strategic move aims to thwart any attempts by SIC candidates to secure unopposed victories.

Before the assembly session, the opposition plans to hold a meeting to finalise the nomination of their leader and discuss potential candidates for the three crucial positions. The goal is to present a consensus candidate who can represent the collective stance of the opposition.

Insiders said the opposition is committed to not conceding ground to the SIC. However, in the event of any communication or negotiation with the SIC, decisions will be made based on the prevailing circumstances through a consultative.