The Election Commission has issued the schedule for the by-election on the vacant seat. Scrutiny of nomination papers will be completed by July 16, and polling is scheduled for July 31.
Among the PTI hopefuls are Mishal Yousafzai, reportedly facing opposition from within the party and government circles. Her nomination papers were signed by Shakil Khan and Tariq Mehmood. Sajida Begum appears to be a strong contender, enjoying the support of senior party and government figures. Her nomination is endorsed by Law Minister Aftab Alam and Arshad Ayub.
Former MPA Momina Basit is also in the race, with her papers backed by Mushtaq Ghani and Iftikhar Ahmad Jadoon. Dr Sumaira Shams has submitted her nomination papers as well, proposed by Sher Ali Afridi and Mian Muhammad Umar. Sources within PTI suggest that Dr Shams is being considered as a backup candidate.
Despite PTI’s numerical strength in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, opposition parties have also fielded candidates. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has nominated Sobia Shahid and Mehtab Zafar; Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) is represented by Shazia; and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has fielded Raheela Bibi.
The contest is expected to intensify as the polling date nears, with party leadership under pressure to finalize their candidate amidst internal disagreements.