In a dramatic turn ahead of the July 21 Senate elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, disgruntled PTI leaders have defied party instructions and pledged to remain in the race. Khurram Zeeshan, Irfan Saleem, and Ayesha Bano led the charge, rejecting withdrawal calls and declaring their commitment to “principles over politics.”
Khurram criticized the PTI leadership’s alliance with the opposition, questioning if this aligned with the vision of the party’s founder. Saleem reinforced their stance, vowing never to endorse what he called a “flawed system.”
Meanwhile, PTI had announced a consensus list of Senate nominees — including Murad Saeed and Faisal Javed — set to be elected unopposed under a deal with the opposition. But the rebels’ refusal may now force a contest.
PPP’s Talha Mehmood confirmed that the provincial government and opposition have agreed to field joint candidates if rebel PTI members don’t step aside. The meeting, attended by CM Ali Amin Gandapur and leaders from PML‑N and JUI-F, finalized a seat-sharing formula.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan warned disciplinary action against any candidate not approved by Imran Khan, stressing that unauthorized nominees must withdraw or face consequences.
