PESHAWAR: The race for the vacant Senate seat left by Murad Saeed from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has taken a surprising turn, as sources within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) reveal an unexpected candidate. According to PTI sources, the driver of Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, has emerged as one of the contenders for the Senate seat.
According to Geo News report, the PTI has selected Irfan Saleem as their official candidate for the election seat. However, sources report that Ghulam Badshah, who drives for Bushra Bibi, has been selected as the “covering” candidate who will serve as the backup candidate. The additional backing candidate was identified as Sajjad Mohmand.
The opposition and PTI party members both express their suspicion about the new development. The PTI Parliamentary Board rejected the name of Akhunzada Hussain Yousafzai which former PTI leaders Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir proposed. The board selected Irfan Saleem as their candidate instead. However, concerns were raised about Irfan Saleem due to his involvement in the cases related to the May 9 protests.
Barrister Gohar and Salman Akram Raja, according to sources, had agreed on bringing forward Akhunzada Hussain Yousafzai as a covering candidate. Barrister Gohar had promised to include him in the final list, but in a surprising move, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi pushed for Bushra Bibi’s driver to be included instead.
The PTI leaders, led by Shahid Khatak opposed the party’s decision to include Akhunzada Hussain Yousafzai as a candidate, while they also protested the selection of Bushra Bibi’s driver as a substitute for the position. The internal party dynamics over this nomination have sparked controversy, with many questioning the motives behind the choices made for the Senate seat.
The nomination of an unexpected candidate has highlighted the factional rifts within PTI and raised concerns about the party’s handling of its Senate nominations.
Senate nomination: PTI KP sets up nine-member parliamentary board
Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has constituted a nine-member parliamentary board to select a candidate for the vacant Senate seat previously held by Murad Saeed.
The board will be chaired by Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and includes key party leaders such as PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar National Assembly Parliamentary Leader Shahid Khatak and MNA Atif Khan.
The board comprises MNA Subghatullah KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati MPA Akbar Ayub and PTI KP General Secretaries Ali Asghar Khan and Ali Khan Jadun.
PTI KP General Secretary Ali Asghar Khan issued an official notification that formed the parliamentary board which will now conduct the selection process for the vacant Senate seat.
PTI considers this action to be a vital measure which guarantees their candidate selection process for the upcoming Senate elections will proceed in an organized and strategic manner.
