PESHAWAR; Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA Sohail Afridi was elected the new Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Monday, in a provincial assembly session marked by opposition’s walkout and controversy over outgoing CM Ali Amin Gandapur’s resignation.
KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati announced Afridi’s victory after he secured 90 votes in the 145-member house, comfortably surpassing the required 73 votes. The three opposition nominees — Maulana Lutfur Rehman (JUI-F), Sardar Shah Jehan Yousaf (PML-N), and Arbab Zarak Khan (PPP) — received zero votes after 51 opposition members walked out of the assembly. Two others were absent, while three lawmakers were abroad.
Opposition Leader Dr. Ibadullah rejected the election, terming it “unconstitutional” due to the unresolved status of Gandapur’s resignation. He said the opposition would challenge the election in court, arguing that “two chief ministers” currently exist in the province.
Gandapur had submitted two resignation letters to Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, but both were returned due to “disparate signatures.” Kundi has summoned Gandapur on October 15 to settle the matter.
Following Afridi’s election, PTI’s legal team approached the Peshawar High Court (PHC) to ensure the oath-taking took place the same day. Citing constitutional provisions, PTI lawyer Naeem Haider Panjutha said that if the governor refused to administer the oath, the PHC chief justice was authorised to do so under Article 255.
In his victory speech, Afridi expressed gratitude to PTI founder Imran Khan for nominating him, highlighting his humble background and tribal roots. He pledged to represent the people of tribal districts, criticising the longstanding perception that “tribal people exist only to die” and stressing that military operations alone cannot solve terrorism. He urged the federal government to engage the province in counterterrorism policy-making and address the plight of internally displaced persons.
Afridi also vowed to raise issues like the treatment of Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) members and Afghan refugees. He declared, “If Imran Khan is moved without consultation, we will jam the whole country.”
Outgoing CM Gandapur congratulated Afridi in advance, calling for a smooth democratic transition. He said he resigned on October 8 on Imran Khan’s directive and highlighted his government’s fiscal achievements despite financial constraints.
PTI leaders, including Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Omar Ayub, Asad Qaiser and Junaid Akbar, congratulated Afridi, terming his election a reflection of Imran Khan’s vision to bring forward young, ideological leadership from the middle class.
The opposition maintained that the election was unconstitutional, arguing that Gandapur’s resignation had not been formally accepted. However, Speaker Swati ruled that the election complied with Article 130 of the Constitution and assembly rules.
