K-P opposition walks out over repeat oath

Women, minority lawmakers reject second swearing-in, insist governor's oath was in order

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday witnessed uproar when women and minority opposition members elected on reserved seats staged a walkout, refusing to take the oath for a second time. The lawmakers argued that they had already been sworn in under constitutional provisions and by court order, and had since been actively participating in legislative proceedings, leaving no justification for another oath.

The session, chaired by Deputy Speaker Suraiya Bibi, was convened to comply with a recent Peshawar High Court directive. The deputy speaker informed the house that the oath-taking ceremony had originally been scheduled for July 20. However, the sitting was adjourned that day due to a lack of quorum. Following this, the Election Commission of Pakistan issued notifications, after which the PHC directed the Governor to administer the oath. Consequently, the governor swore in the opposition lawmakers on the same day.

This move was later challenged by the Speaker of the Provincial Assembly in court. The Advocate General petitioned that the legislators should be allowed to take oath again, which the court accepted. Accordingly, Deputy Speaker Suraiya Bibi placed the oath-taking as an agenda item in Monday's sitting.

However, opposition lawmakers strongly objected. Leader of the Opposition Dr Ibadullah maintained that the members in question were not strangers to the house, as they had already taken oath under Article 255(2) of the Constitution and had since been regularly attending assembly sessions and contributing to lawmaking.

Dr Ibadullah recalled that on July 20, the assembly was urged to conduct the oath-taking within the house itself, but a deliberate move to point out the quorum disrupted proceedings. "Subsequently, the governor, acting under the orders of the PHC, administered the oath. Therefore, we see no legal or moral justification for repeating the process," he declared, announcing the opposition's walkout.

Despite the opposition's boycott, Deputy Speaker Suraiya Bibi insisted that she was bound by judicial orders. "The oath is part of today's agenda in compliance with the High Court's instructions. Since the opposition has walked out, we will present their stance before the court," she stated.

Speaking to the media before the session, Dr Ibadullah warned that forcing another oath could have far-reaching consequences. "The governor administered the oath under the explicit directions of the Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court, as empowered by Article 255 through the 26th Constitutional Amendment. If the Speaker was not satisfied with the July 20 oath, he should not have sent assembly staff to the Governor House," he argued. He added that even the new members had signed the rolls of assembly under official supervision, confirming their membership.