PESHAWAR: The halls of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly are bustling with activity today as voting gets underway to elect the Speaker of the assembly.
The voting started as Saroya Bibi, the representative from PK-1 Chitral, who is vying for the Deputy Speaker position under the banner of the Sunni Ittehad Council, cast her first vote.
The race for the Speaker’s seat sees stiff competition between Babar Salim Swati representing the Sunni Ittehad Council and Ehsanullah Khan from the PPP.
Meanwhile, for the Deputy Speaker’s role, Saroya Bibi faces off against Arbab Waseem, a prominent figure from the PTI parliamentarians.
With Babar Salim Swati poised to secure over ninety votes, his path to the Speaker’s chair appears clear, ensuring a smooth transition into his new role.
However, amidst the fervor of the elections, there looms a possibility of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam boycotting the proceedings for both the Speaker and Deputy Speaker positions.
Having clinched victory in PK-37, Babar Salim Swati’s political prowess has been affirmed once again, following his success in the 2018 general elections where he emerged victorious from PK-31, defeating Zahoor Ahmed of the Muslim League-N on both occasions.
Adding to the day’s significance, Abdul Manan Khan and Laiq Muhammad Khan, esteemed members of the provincial assembly, are set to take their oaths today, marking the beginning of their legislative journey.
Amidst all this, the Election Commission has officially declared the success of Abdul Manan Khan and Laiq Muhammad Khan, further cementing the democratic process unfolding within the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.
