ISLAMABAD: In an uncommon procedural move, 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.
Coin Toss Resolves Disputed Reserved Seat as Shahida Waheed of ANP Secures Victory, In an uncommon procedural move, a coin toss was used to resolve a deadlock over a reserved women’s seat in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly — resulting in Shahida Waheed from the Awami National Party (ANP) emerging as the winner.
The coin was flipped at the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to break a tie between the ANP and PTI Parliamentarians (PTI-P), both of whom had equal claims to the seat. Senior representatives from both political groups were present during the procedure, which drew significant attention from observers.
Following the toss, Shahida Waheed was declared the winner and has now officially taken her oath as a Member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. This development increases the ANP’s tally in the assembly to four seats.
Though such a method of resolving a parliamentary deadlock is uncommon, it is permitted under election regulations in cases of a tie. The outcome has been seen as a fortunate turn for the ANP, bolstering its representation in the provincial legislature.
Supporters of the party regarded the result as a positive sign for political diversity and representation. PTI-P officials, while expressing acceptance of the decision, appeared visibly disappointed by the outcome.
