ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has strongly rejected Babar Awan’s statement claiming a reduction in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s seats, denouncing it as an attempt to sow confusion among the public.
In a statement released on Friday evening, the ECP clarified that under the 25th constitutional amendment passed in 2018, the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) were merged into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Consequently, the 12 seats from the former FATA were replaced, granting KP an additional six seats in the National Assembly.
The ECP statement emphasized that KP’s general seats have increased from 39 to 45 as a result, and the provincial assembly has been allocated 16 more seats, increasing the total from 99 to 115.
The Commission described Babar Awan’s assertion of decreased seats as “amusing” and urged him, as a lawyer, not to make statements against the constitution. It emphasized that the decision to increase or decrease seats was within the prerogative of the parliament.
Babar Awan, following a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) core committee meeting, claimed that the ECP reduced five seats from KP, a stronghold of the party. He characterized it as an encroachment on the province’s autonomy and called for a level playing field in elections.
Akbar S. Babar Makes Rare Return to PTI Secretariat Ahead of Intra-Party Elections
In another development, as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) prepares for its intra-party election, Akbar S. Babar, a founding member who has been estranged from the party and has filed cases against it, made a return to the party secretariat after a prolonged absence. This marked his first appearance at the party’s headquarters in 13 years.
Babar expressed that numerous old members were eager to participate in the intra-party election, and he visited the secretariat to gather information about nomination papers, voter lists, and the election process. While he did not specify whether he intended to contest for a specific position, Babar conveyed his desire to actively participate in the polls.
Akbar S. Babar played a significant role in initiating the foreign funding case against the PTI. Meanwhile, Barrister Gohar Khan submitted his nomination papers for the election, positioning himself as the leading candidate for the role of the party’s caretaker chairman. Senator Ali Zafar, announcing Gohar’s nomination, mentioned that it received approval from Imran Khan himself.
The PTI is scheduled to conduct its intra-party elections on December 2, following a ruling by the Election Commission of Pakistan, which warned that the party could risk losing its electoral symbol if the polls were not held.
