Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA Sohail Afridi was elected on Monday as the new chief executive of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan removed KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.
KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati said that Afridi won the election after securing 90 votes.
Meanwhile, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) Maulana Lutfur Rehman, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Sardar Shahjehan Yousaf and Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Arbab Zarak Khan did not receive any votes as their members staged a walkout from the session.
Addressing the floor, Gandapur gave his “advance congratulations” to Afridi, and called for addressing the challenges the province was facing.
He said his government made every effort to tackle terrorism and economic challenges and urged the federal government to focus on law and order in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Last week, Gandapur stepped down as CM, saying, “The position of the Chief Minister was the trust of Imran Khan, and as per his order, I am returning his trust to him and resigning.”
Who is Sohail Afridi – the next KP CM?
Afridi, elected from PK-70, is a member of PTI’s central executive committee and previously led the party’s student wing, the Insaf Students Federation (ISF), in KP.
In the current setup, he first served as Special Assistant to the CM for Communication and Works, before being appointed Minister for Higher Education. Known for his long association with PTI’s student and youth wings, Afridi has gradually risen through the party ranks.