PESHAWAR – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Sohail Afridi has been elected as the new Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after securing 90 votes in the provincial assembly session held under the chairmanship of Speaker Babar Saleem Swati.
Out of 145 members of the KP Assembly, 93 belong to the treasury benches and 52 to the opposition. A total of 73 votes were required to secure a simple majority, while opposition parties boycotted the proceedings, terming the election “unconstitutional.”
Afridi expresses gratitude to PTI founder
After his election as the Leader of the House, Sohail Afridi addressed the assembly and expressed deep gratitude to the PTI founder for nominating him.
“I am thankful to the PTI founder for choosing a humble worker like me, who has no political background—no father, brother, or uncle in politics. I did not become chief minister through favoritism or a chit, but through hard work,” he said.
Afridi declared, “I am a Pakistani first, then a Pashtun, and a tribal. Adding Bhutto or Zardari to one’s name does not make one a leader.”
Gandapur defends record, calls for respect for democracy
Earlier, former Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur addressed the assembly, saying he resigned the day PTI founder Imran Khan directed him to. “Imran Khan made me the chief minister, and I stepped down on his instructions. The democratic process should not be made a mockery. We will no longer tolerate what has been happening,” he stated.
Reflecting on his 19-month tenure, Gandapur said, “When we came to power, the province had funds for only 18 days’ salaries, but today there are Rs218 billion in the treasury. The opposition may criticize me for not releasing funds to them, but the people are satisfied because I spent the money on their welfare.” He reaffirmed that PTI stands firmly with its founder, who “is sacrificing for the nation and future generations.”
Opposition Leader Dr. Ibadullah announced a boycott of the session, stating that Gandapur’s resignation had not yet been accepted by the governor, rendering the election of a new chief minister invalid.
“A new chief minister cannot be elected while one is still in office. The governor has summoned Gandapur on October 15 to clarify discrepancies in his resignation signatures,” he said. “Our friends seem to be in undue haste. If they have the numbers, why make the process controversial? This is illegal, and we will not be part of it,” he added.
Speaker Babar Saleem Swati rejected the opposition’s stance, stating that Gandapur had submitted his resignation twice to the governor and announced it again in the assembly.
“Some people do not want Sohail Afridi to become chief minister, but the Constitution does not operate on personal wishes. The process will proceed strictly according to constitutional provisions,” he ruled.
Following his ruling, the Speaker explained the voting procedure, after which the assembly voted and Sohail Afridi was officially declared the new Leader of the House with 90 votes.
Who is Sohail Afridi?
Sohail Afridi hails from Khyber district and was elected to the provincial assembly for the first time in the 2024 general elections. He previously served as president of the Insaf Students Federation (ISF) KP for several years.
During Ali Amin Gandapur’s tenure, Afridi served as Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Communication and Works, and was later appointed as Minister for Higher Education following a cabinet reshuffle. He is also a member of PTI’s Central Executive Committee.
