Shahida Waheed of the ANP wins the reserved seat after a coin flip.
In a surprising development, the conflict over a seat reserved for women in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly was resolved by a coin toss, with Awami National Party (ANP) candidate Shahida Waheed winning.
The ANP and PTI Parliamentarians (PTI-P), who were tied for the reserved seat, faced off in a toss at the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). During the toss, which attracted a lot of attention, senior members from both parties were present.
Following the victory, the ANP now holds four seats in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, and Shahida Waheed is now formally a member.
Although this unusual approach to choosing a parliamentary seat has drawn criticism, it is permitted by election regulations in the case of a tie. It was a fortunate development for ANP, assisting the party in fortifying its position in the provincial assembly.
Supporters of the party hailed the result as encouraging for the assembly’s political diversity. PTI-P leaders, meanwhile, acknowledged the outcome despite their obvious disappointment.
