Peshawar: The recent Senate elections held in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have come under fire following allegations of serious voting irregularities that may have violated election laws.
The elections, conducted on July 21 within the KP Assembly, resulted in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) securing six seats, while the opposition claimed five. A total of 145 provincial assembly members participated to elect 11 Senate members.
However, troubling reports now suggest that the integrity of the voting process was compromised. Sources familiar with the situation revealed that ballot papers were circulated outside the official polling area in a manner inconsistent with proper electoral procedure.
According to insiders, rather than each lawmaker casting their own vote in secrecy, the process became a coordinated effort. The first member reportedly placed a blank ballot into the box and passed their genuine marked ballot to others waiting outside the chamber.
There, the ballot was officially marked and numbered before being handed to the next member, who repeated the process using their own ballot.
This cycle allegedly continued throughout the day, indicating that no lawmaker independently cast their personal vote. Both government and opposition factions are said to have tacitly agreed on this arrangement to streamline the voting process.
Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur reportedly cast the final vote under this controversial system.
