The political dynamics in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly have shifted significantly following the restoration of reserved seats, strengthening the opposition and reshaping the balance of power within the provincial legislature.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has officially notified 21 women and 4 minority reserved seats, boosting the opposition’s total strength to 52 members.

Among the opposition, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has emerged as the largest party, now holding 19 seats, including eight women and two minority members under the new notification.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has expanded its presence to 16 seats after gaining six women and one minority seat, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) now holds 11 seats, thanks to the addition of five women and one minority seat.

The Awami National Party (ANP) and PTI Parliamentarians (PTI-P) were each allotted one reserved seat.

Despite the opposition’s gains, PTI continues to hold a majority with 94 seats. However, 35 of these are independents, including Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, whose position may be legally challenged since many independents reportedly failed to submit their political affiliation affidavits within the required three-day window post-election.

Responding to the shifting political landscape, CM Gandapur dismissed concerns, issuing a defiant statement:

“I dare the opposition to topple my government. If they succeed, I will quit politics.”

He maintained that his government remains strong and stable, despite the opposition’s strengthened numbers.

This political upheaval follows a landmark Supreme Court decision, which reversed its earlier ruling from July 12 and upheld the Peshawar High Court’s verdict denying reserved seats to the Sunni Ittehad Council. As a result, the Council has lost all representation in the Assembly.