Sohail Afridi Elected New KP Chief Minister as Speaker Accepts Gandapur’s Resignation

Peshawar: Sohail Afridi of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has been elected as the new Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Afridi received 90 votes in the assembly.

PTI needed 73 votes to win the election, and 90 members showed confidence in Afridi’s leadership. Meanwhile, opposition parties boycotted the election process.

Members of the assembly congratulated Sohail Afridi on his election as the new Chief Minister.

Afridi’s leadership is expected to focus on continuing development and addressing key issues in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly session is underway to elect a new Chief Minister. The meeting started under the chairmanship of Speaker Babar Saleem Swati.

Outgoing Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur addressed the assembly, saying he resigned on the orders of PTI leader Imran Khan and urged respect for the democratic process. He highlighted his government’s achievements, including increasing the provincial treasury from just 18 days’ salary to 218 billion rupees, and said he prioritized public welfare over political opponents.

However, opposition leader Dr. Ibadullah rejected Gandapur’s resignation, stating it has not been officially accepted yet. He said a new Chief Minister cannot be elected while the current one is still in office. The opposition announced a boycott of the assembly session, calling the election process illegal.

Speaker Babar Saleem Swati responded by saying Gandapur has sent his resignation twice, including today, and that the election will follow constitutional rules. He added that some do not want Sohail Afridi to become Chief Minister, but the constitution must be followed.

Four candidates are in the race for Chief Minister: PTI’s Sohail Afridi, JUI-F’s Maulana Lutfur Rehman, PML-N’s Sardar Shah Jehan Yousaf, and PPP’s Arbab Zarak Khan.

The KP Assembly has 145 members—93 from the government and 52 from the opposition. A candidate needs 73 votes to win. The opposition is still discussing a joint candidate.

PTI has already taken oath from its members supporting Sohail Afridi. PTI KP President Junaid Akbar warned against betrayal of the party’s choice, saying the public will not forgive such acts.

Meanwhile, Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has returned Gandapur’s resignation due to signature discrepancies and summoned him to the Governor’s House on October 15 to verify his resignation.