ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – In an unusual turn of events, a coin toss was used to settle the dispute over a reserved seat for women in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly – and Shahida Waheed of the Awami National Party (ANP) came out on top.
The toss was held at the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) between the ANP and PTI Parliamentarians (PTI-P), both of whom were tied for the reserved seat. Senior members from both parties were present during the toss, which drew considerable attention.
With the win, Shahida Waheed has now officially become a Member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, and ANP’s total number of seats in the house has risen to four.
This rare method of settling a parliamentary seat has raised eyebrows but is allowed under election rules in the event of a tie. For ANP, it was a lucky break, helping the party strengthen its presence in the provincial assembly.
Party supporters welcomed the outcome, calling it a good sign for political diversity in the assembly. Meanwhile, PTI-P leaders accepted the result, although visibly disappointed.
Also read: PML-N, JUI-F reach consensus on minority seat in KP Assembly