Mishal Yousafzai Clinches Senate Seat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Mishal Yousafzai of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has been elected as a Senator on a seat reserved for women in the by-elections held in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Yousafzai secured 86 votes, outpacing her closest competitor Mehtab Zafar, who garnered 53 votes.

The election took place within a legislative assembly of 145 members, where the Provincial Election Commission spokesperson confirmed Yousafzai's victory. The seat was previously held by Dr. Sania Nishtar before she resigned to take the helm of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

Among the five contenders, Saima Khalid, a dissident of the PTI, managed to obtain only one vote. Dr. Sania Nishtar vacated the position following her Senate election in 2021, opening the pathway for this highly contested election.

(With inputs from agencies.)