Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) nominee Sohail Afridi was elected as the new chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday, amid opposition boycotts and accusations of constitutional violations.
The election took place in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, where Speaker Babar Saleem Swati declared Afridi’s victory with 90 votes. Opposition parties, including the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), refused to participate, calling the election “unconstitutional.”
Speaker Swati maintained that the process followed the constitutional schedule, emphasizing that the chief minister must be elected according to the law.
However, opposition leaders, led by Dr. Ibadullah, Maulana Lutfur Rehman, and Akram Durrani, walked out in protest. Ibadullah asserted that Ali Amin Gandapur was still the legitimate chief minister, stating, “The election of another Chief Minister while one is already in office is illegal.”
Addressing the assembly after the vote, outgoing Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur congratulated Afridi, saying that he had resigned on PTI founder’s instructions to ensure democratic continuity.
He called on the opposition to respect the process and avoid political confrontation. PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Junaid Akbar warned lawmakers against defying party discipline, saying, “Anyone betraying the founder PTI’s nominee will face public accountability.”
Earlier, Governor Faisal Karim Kundi raised objections over Gandapur’s resignation, citing discrepancies between two versions of the resignation letter.
The governor summoned Gandapur for signature verification on October 15. Despite the pending confirmation, the assembly proceeded with the election.
In the 145-member provincial assembly, the government holds 93 seats while the opposition controls 52. A simple majority of 73 votes was required to elect the new chief minister, confirming PTI’s political dominance in the province despite opposition resistance.
