• Meeting ends without formal agreement on mutual support
• Kundi says no-confidence vote against KP govt possible ‘if numbers are complete’
ISLAMABAD: A delegation of senior PPP members met the top leadership of JUI-F on Friday, in a bid to garner support for the upcoming Senate elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The PPP delegation, which included Syed Khursheed Shah, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and Zahir Shah, visited the residence of JUI-F emir Maulana Fazlur Rehman, where they discussed the political situation.
On the JUI-F side, Maulana Fazlur Rehman was accompanied by senior party leaders Akram Durrani, Maulana Lutfur Rehman, Maulana Asad Mahmood, Zahid Durrani and Asjad Mahmood.
However, the meeting ended without any formal agreement regarding mutual support in the Senate elections.
Syed Khursheed Shah insisted that the PPP’s visit was driven by their long-standing relationship with Maulana Fazlur Rehman and stressed that each party’s mandate should be respected. “We have come because of our traditional relationship with Maulana sahib,” he added.
Governor Kundi highlighted that the PPP aims to secure five Senate seats in the upcoming elections, scheduled for July 21. Of the 12 available seats, one has been vacated by Sania Nishtar, while the remaining 11 seats are up for fresh election.
The breakdown of the 11 seats includes seven general seats and two each for women and technocrats. The deadline for submitting nomination papers expired on Friday, with scrutiny scheduled for July 16.
When asked about the possibility of ‘horse trading’ during the elections, Mr Kundi assured that the PPP is making efforts to prevent it, stressing that the key reason for the visit was to explore the potential for contesting the Senate elections together.
Questioned about the likelihood of a vote of no confidence against the KP government, Mr Kundi replied, “The no-confidence motion can be brought if the numbers are complete.”
On security concerns, the KP governor accused India of backing terrorist networks in Balochistan.
He added that Afghanistan’s land should not be used for Israel and India. “If our neighbour allows Israel and India to use its land, how will there be better relations with them?” he questioned.
Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2025
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