Pakistan’s ruling coalition, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has clinched a two-thirds majority in the Senate following elections in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly, strengthening its grip on legislative power. The polls, held on Monday for 11 Senate seats, saw the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secure six seats, while opposition parties bagged five, according to the KP Assembly Speaker’s announcement.

The Senate, Pakistan’s 96-member upper house, is elected indirectly by provincial assemblies. The results have reshaped its composition, with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) emerging as the largest party with 26 seats, followed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with 20 seats. Other coalition partners, including the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), and Awami National Party (ANP), hold 12 seats collectively, bolstered by six independent senators. This brings the coalition’s total to 64 seats, meeting the two-thirds threshold needed for constitutional amendments.

The PTI, backed by six independents, holds 24 seats, while Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) has seven. One Senate seat remains vacant, with a by-election scheduled for July 31.

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The coalition’s dominance extends to the National Assembly, where a June 28 Supreme Court ruling on reserved seats boosted its strength to 235 members—exceeding the 224 needed for a two-thirds majority. The PML-N now has 123 seats, PPP 74, MQM 22, and smaller allies like PML-Quaid and Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party contribute 11. Four independents further bolster the coalition.

This dual supermajority empowers the coalition to push constitutional amendments, a process requiring two-thirds support in both houses. The KP elections, delayed since April 2024 due to disputes over reserved seat oaths, were facilitated by a last-minute seat-sharing deal between the PTI-led KP government and opposition, averting a deadlock.

The coalition’s strengthened position, with PPP’s 26 senators and PML-N’s legislative heft, ensures smoother passage of key bills, though PTI’s 24 seats maintain its influence as a formidable opposition.

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