CM Gandapur says free and fair Senate polls held for first time in KP

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Wednesday claimed that the recent Senate elections in the province were held transparently for the first time in history, with no signs of vote-buying or horse-trading—an issue long associated with the upper house polls.

Speaking to the media following remarks by Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, Gandapur responded to questions about the electoral process.

“There was no buying and selling of votes this time,” he asserted, implying a significant shift from past practices in the province.

The statement marks a rare acknowledgment that previous Senate elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were marred by irregularities and monetary influence.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has governed the province since 2013 and overseen multiple Senate elections during that time.

Gandapur also criticized certain quarters for making what he described as “strange statements” regarding the Senate polls, though he did not name individuals or parties.

Earlier in the day, Governor Faisal Karim Kundi had commended the Gandapur-led provincial government for demonstrating “political maturity,” noting that had they acted otherwise, the opposition might have secured a greater number of seats.

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The recent elections were conducted under a 6:5 seat-sharing understanding between the treasury and opposition benches—giving PTI six Senate seats while the opposition alliance secured five, despite notable internal rifts within Imran Khan’s party.

Just before the Senate vote, Provincial Assembly Speaker Babar Khan Swati abruptly adjourned the session until July 24. This led the opposition to seek relief from the Peshawar High Court, which authorized Governor Kundi to administer oaths to newly elected MPAs on reserved seats.

Later that day, Kundi accused the speaker of violating the Constitution, while CM Gandapur warned of strict disciplinary action against any party members found violating internal decisions or supporting the opposition.