The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has instructed the Chief Minister and cabinet of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to convene an assembly session within two weeks to ensure the oath-taking of those elected on reserved seats for women and non-Muslims. In its detailed judgment on petitions filed by around 20 opposition MPAs-elect, the PHC ordered the provincial assembly speaker to administer the oath to these members during the session, following Article 65 of the Constitution. The court highlighted the failure of the KP government to hold the session, linking it to the postponement of Senate elections in the province. Now, various petitions have been filed, including one by the speaker seeking a review of the order and others by MPAs-elect seeking its implementation and contempt proceedings against the speaker and deputy speaker. The PHC noted the resistance from the present dispensation in administering oaths, particularly to representatives of marginalized communities, possibly to deny them participation in assembly proceedings and voting rights. The court also criticized the assembly secretary for not fulfilling constitutional obligations despite notifications from the ECP declaring the petitioners as elected MPAs on reserved seats.
