PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly’s session on Sunday faced delays as opposition members started to arrive while the attendance from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) remained thin ahead of the reserved seats members’ oath-taking.
So far, only one PTI lawmaker, Abdul Salam, has reached the assembly premises, sources said.
There is a possibility the session may be adjourned shortly after commencement due to a lack of quorum, according to assembly insiders. If adjourned, the swearing-in ceremony of 25 newly elected members on reserved seats would be postponed.
Speaking to the media, Leader of the Opposition in the KP Assembly, Dr Ibadullah, said: “If a quorum is pointed out during the session, we have options.”
“The oath-taking must take place. If it doesn’t, this is PTI and we can expect anything from it,” he added.
He maintained that a mutual understanding had already been reached between the opposition and the government on the Senate elections scheduled for Monday.
Amid the uncertainty, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has called an urgent meeting of the PTI parliamentary party.
A party spokesperson confirmed that PTI lawmakers had been directed not to enter the assembly hall for the time being.
“The parliamentary party will make an important decision in today’s meeting,” the spokesperson added.
This is a developing story and is being updated with more details.