Overview

• The assembly has been formally summoned for October 13 at 10:00 a.m. to elect the new leader of the house by a show of hands.
• Four candidates were cleared after scrutiny: PTI’s Sohail Afridi, JUI-F’s Maulana Lutfur Rehman, PPP’s Arbab Zarak, and PML-N’s Sardar Shah Jehan.
• PTI has nominated first-term MPA Sohail Afridi and holds a practical advantage with 92 PTI-aligned independents in the 145-member house.
• Opposition parties continue consultations to settle on a single joint nominee, with JUI-F’s Lutfur Rehman viewed as a leading option by party sources.
• ANP says it will not support PTI’s candidate or take part in horse-trading, as legal experts warn a vote before formal acceptance of Gandapur’s resignation could face court challenges while the Advocate General and Speaker insist the process is constitutional.