Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi administered the oath to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA Sohail Afridi as the province’s chief minister on Wednesday.
The ceremony, held at the Governor’s House in Peshawar, took place hours after the Peshawar High Court (PHC) ordered Kundi to swear in Afridi by 4pm, declaring his election as chief minister “constitutional.”
Footage from the event showed large crowds surrounding the governor and the newly sworn-in chief minister, who raised a portrait of PTI founder Imran Khan after taking the oath.
Afridi was elected the province’s chief executive on Monday during an assembly session marked by an opposition walkout and uncertainty over the resignation of outgoing Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.
A day earlier, PHC Chief Justice S.M. Attique Shah had instructed the governor to administer the oath or, failing that, the provincial assembly speaker would do so under Article 255(2) of the Constitution.
Following the court’s order, a spokesperson for Governor Kundi confirmed that arrangements were being made for the ceremony, while PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also urged Kundi to “fulfil his constitutional and legal responsibility.”
Afridi’s election came amid confusion surrounding Gandapur’s resignation, which the governor initially returned over “disparate signatures.” PTI argued that the Constitution does not require the governor’s approval for a chief minister’s resignation and proceeded with the election in a session boycotted by opposition lawmakers.
Party sources said PTI founder Imran Khan has granted Afridi full authority to form his cabinet, which is expected to comprise elected representatives and ticket holders. Afridi secured 90 votes during Monday’s assembly session presided over by Speaker Babar Saleem Swati.
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.