PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly elected a new leader of the house amidst a controversy over the two resignation letters of the outgoing leader of the house.
The former leader of the house (Chief Minister) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Ali Amin Khan Gandapur had tendered resignation after he was asked by the PTI leadership without giving reasons for it and nominated Sohail Afridi, a diehard follower of the imprisoned founder Imran Khan to replace him.
However, the two resignation letters dispatched by his predecessor to Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa created confusion.
In wake of the two separate sets of resignation letters dated October 8 and October 11, 2025, the Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi also wrote a letter to Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur asking him to appear at the Governor House on October 15 for verification of two purported resignation letters both allegedly bearing different and inconsistent signatures.
The Governor said that, as he is currently out of the city and will return to Peshawar on the evening of October 15, the Chief Minister has been advised to meet him at 3:00 p.m. the same day to verify the authenticity of the documents.
But, on the other hand, the provincial assembly dominated by the supporters of the PTI founding chairman Imran Khan, elected Sohail Afridi as new Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday after securing 90 votes amid opposition boycott of election process.
The joint opposition comprising JUI-F, PML-N and PPP have had also fielded Maulana Lutfur Rehman (JUI-F), Sardar Shah Jehan Yousaf (PML-N) and Arbab Zarak Khan of PPP, but did not participated in the voting and walk out of the house raising questions over the legality of the proceedings of the provincial assembly. The PTI nominee obtained 90 votes in the house of 145-members.
Speaking in the provincial assembly, the Leader of Opposition Leader in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, Dr. Ibadullah said while there is already one Chief Minister, another cannot be elected.
He said the resignation of the Chief Minister was not accepted, so this process is illegal. He said that they do not want to be a part of it. He said that Ali Amin Gandapur has resigned twice.
Elaborating his point, the leader of opposition said that according to the constitution, when someone resign, then it will be de-notified from the cabinet after it is approved. He said that treasury benches are in majority and the election of the Chief Minister can take place even after four days. So, we are walking out of the house and do not want to be part of an unconstitutional move.
In response to the points raised by the opposition leader, the Speaker Babar Saleem Swati said that some people want Sohail Afridi not to become the Chief Minister. He said that the Constitution cannot be based on the wishes of the people, we will follow the Constitution. In his maiden address to the house, the Chief Minister-elect Sohail Afridi said that he is grateful to his leader, as he belongs to a tribal district and a middle-class family.
He said that neither his father, nor brother, or any relative is politician. He further said he neither have Zardari, Bhutto nor Sharif next to his name, writing Zardari and Bhutto next to my name does not make me a great leader.
He said that he is a champion of agitational politics and will lose nothing as he has no greed for cars, bungalows, wealth or chair. He said that he will remain as he is and whenever my leader orders, I will kick the chair.
Sohail Afridi said that when his name was announced, a certain mindset ridiculed the tribal. The tribes are not always there to remain behind, not to seize their minerals. The tribesmen are happy that I am a Chief Minister.
He said that he wants to show people how rigging took place on February 8, and that he will investigate the way our constituencies were robbed on February 8. He warned against the moving of the PTI founder said that if the founder of PTI is moved here and there without consulting his family and party and threatened to paralyzed the entire country if such situation arise.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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