The newly-elected members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly took oath on Wednesday after Governor Haji Ghulam Ali summoned the session.

Speaker Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani administered oath to the newly-elected members of the provincial assembly amid chanting by the people gathered in the gallery.

He announced that the election for the speaker and deputy speaker would take place on Thursday.

Nomination papers can be filed before 5pm to the assembly secretariat, the speaker added.

In a post on X, PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub said the party has nominated Babar Salim Swati as its candidate for the role of KPK assembly speaker.

The provincial assembly has a total of 145 seats consisting 115 general, 26 women reserved seats and four seats reserved for non-Muslims.

Out of the total 115 seats, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has notified returned candidates from 113 seats and names of the five returned women candidates on women reserved seats with two each for JUI-F, PML-N and one for PPP respectively.

A total of 86 PTI-backed independent candidates took oath as members of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) while Ali Amin Gandapur did so as independent member of the house.

Moreover, Gandapur is also PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan’s nominee for KPK CM.