Akhunzada Yousafzai emerges as PTI pick for senate seat: Report

ISLAMABAD:  The name of Akhunzada Hussain Yousafzai has emerged as the likely candidate of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf for the vacant Senate seat from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, previously held by Murad Saeed.

According to the media reports, a meeting of the party’s Parliamentary Board was held at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, where consultations were carried out regarding the nomination.

Despite 23 candidates from KP obtaining nomination papers, the party reportedly directed all of them not to submit their papers, indicating a consensus decision on a single candidate.

Reports further revealed that Akhunzada Hussain Yousafzai’s name was forwarded as the preferred choice following internal discussions. However, an official announcement from the party is still awaited.

Reports say that the PTI central leadership also consulted on two more names for the Senate, among which the names of Irfan Saleem and Faizur Rehman were discussed for the Senate candidate. The Parliamentary Board discussed the active political role of all the candidates.

The parliamentary board was advised that Irfan Saleem’s name was included on May 9. It was reported that Faizur Rehman had promised to provide legal assistance in the founder’s cases, and the name of Akhunzada Hussain Yousafzai was sent to PTI leaders by Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Nasir Abbas.

The opposition took the position that there should be a person in the Senate who plays an active role in the House. The PTI leadership put forward the position before the parliamentary board that Khurram Zeeshan could not play a role after being elected as a senator.

Sources also say that the founder’s sisters also agreed on the name of Akhawanzada Hussain Yousafzai.

23 candidates have received nomination papers, and will submit by tomorrow

Meanwhile, 23 candidates have received nomination papers from the Election Commission of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the by-election on the Senate seat of Murad Saeed, which fell vacant from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They include former provincial minister Shaukat Yousafzai, PTI provincial leader Dr. Nawaz Khan, Nadeem Alam, and Waqas Okzai.

These nomination papers can be submitted by tomorrow; the initial list of candidates will be released on April 8, while the schedule for the by-election of the vacant Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Senate seat has been released.

The scrutiny of nomination papers will be done by April 10, and the nomination papers can be withdrawn on April 16. The polling for the Senate elections will be held in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on April 23.