The Peshawar High Court (PHC) issued a final warning to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday regarding a petition for Senate elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
The bench, consisting of Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Waqar Ahmed, presided over the hearing. Chief Justice Ibrahim instructed the ECP to convene a meeting and report back to the court.
The petition, filed by PTI leader Azam Swati, points out that Senate elections have been held in other provinces but remain pending in KP. Swati’s lawyer argued that the province’s Senate seats are vacant, leaving KP without full representation.
Chief Justice Ibrahim asked, “When will the commission convene a session and set a date for the elections?” In response, ECP’s Special Secretary Mohammad Arshad informed the court that a meeting would be held soon to address the issue and requested more time to submit a formal reply.
Swati’s counsel emphasized that 11 Senate seats from KP remain unfilled, stressing the province’s lack of representation. When asked about the status of KP’s Senate seats, the ECP representative confirmed that only half of the seats are currently filled.
The court directed the ECP to hold its meeting and present a decision at the next hearing, stating, “Submit your reply by December 24; we will not delay this matter any further,” said Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim.
The hearing was adjourned until December 24.
