Senate Elections Trigger Political Crisis Within PTI in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Peshawar, July 18, 2025: The upcoming Senate elections have ignited a full-scale political crisis within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as internal rifts have now escalated into open confrontation between party leaders and workers.
Despite attempts by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur to restore party unity, PTI in the province appears to be divided into two factions — with growing dissent over Senate ticket allocations. The discord reached a boiling point when disgruntled local leaders from Peshawar publicly denounced Gandapur’s leadership, accusing him of favoring wealthy elites over dedicated party workers.
In a heated press conference, PTI officials from Peshawar accused the leadership of awarding Senate tickets to “ATMs” — a term used to describe affluent individuals allegedly buying influence — while sidelining veteran party loyalists who had long served without recognition.
The crisis deepened further when party members backed Irfan Saleem, who refused to withdraw his nomination, openly challenging the official ticket decisions. Protesters warned that lawmakers supporting these “elite candidates” would face public backlash, including the possibility of protests outside their homes, raising the threat of unrest ahead of the Senate polls.
Despite the growing defiance, protesting members maintained that their actions should not be construed as rebellion. “We are not revolting — we are standing with the vision of PTI’s founder,” they asserted, making it clear that their allegiance lies solely with Imran Khan, not the current provincial leadership.
The group has demanded an immediate review of the Senate candidate list, stating that the current selection process undermines democratic values and risks alienating the grassroots workers who built the party from the ground up.
What was expected to be a routine electoral process has now morphed into a full-blown political crisis, threatening PTI’s dominance in its strongest province. As the party navigates through internal chaos, the situation continues to evolve rapidly — with implications that could ripple well beyond Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
