Sohail Afridi Elected as New Chief Minister of KP
In a major political development, Sohail Afridi Elected as New Chief Minister of KP during a tense session of the KP Assembly, marked by opposition protests and constitutional debate.
Assembly Session Overview
The session was held under the chairmanship of Speaker Babar Saleem Swati. During the proceedings, former Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur addressed the House and officially announced his resignation. He said that he stepped down at the instructions of PTI founder Imran Khan, showing his loyalty to the party and leadership.
He criticized the recent political developments and warned that the democratic process should not be turned into a joke. Gandapur emphasized that what happened in the past 19 months is on record, and under his leadership, the province’s financial health has improved.
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Ali Amin Gandapur’s Final Address as Chief Minister
In his farewell speech, Gandapur shared that when he took office, the provincial government had only 18 days’ worth of salary funds. However, today, the treasury holds Rs 218 billion. He acknowledged that the opposition might criticize him for not allocating development funds to them, but he stressed that the people are happy because the funds were used for public welfare.
He reaffirmed his loyalty to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its founder, saying, “The founder of PTI is sacrificing for us and for our generations. We stand firm with PTI.”
Opposition’s Strong Objection and Boycott
Despite the Speaker moving forward with the election of a new Chief Minister, the Opposition Leader, Dr. Ibadullah, declared the process illegal. He argued that Ali Amin Gandapur’s resignation had not yet been officially accepted, and therefore, electing a new Chief Minister was unconstitutional.
Dr. Ibadullah questioned the urgency of the ruling party, saying, “Why are our friends in such a hurry? They have full numbers, so why make this matter controversial?” As a result, the opposition walked out of the assembly session and boycotted the election process.
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Speaker Defends the Constitutional Process
In response to the opposition’s concerns, Speaker Babar Saleem Swati clarified that Ali Amin Gandapur had submitted his resignation twice to the Governor and also announced it publicly in the Assembly. He emphasized that the Constitution must be followed, not individual wishes.
The Speaker ruled that the election of a new Leader of the House would proceed according to constitutional procedure. Voting was held as per assembly rules.
Sohail Afridi Elected as New Chief Minister
Following the constitutional process, voting took place, and 90 Members of Provincial Assembly (MPAs) voted in favor of Sohail Afridi. With 73 votes required for a majority, his election was declared successful.
Out of the 145 total members of the KP Assembly, 93 belong to the government and 52 to the opposition. Since the opposition had boycotted the session, the ruling party faced no major hurdles in electing its new Chief Minister.
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Who is Sohail Afridi – The New Chief Minister of KP?
Sohail Afridi, the newly elected Chief Minister, hails from the Khyber District. He was elected as an MPA for the first time in the 2024 general elections. Despite being new to the Assembly, he has a long-standing association with PTI.
Sohail Afridi previously served as the President of the Insaf Students Federation (ISF) KP, the student wing of PTI. In Ali Amin Gandapur’s cabinet, he was initially appointed as Special Assistant on Communication and Works, and later became the Minister for Higher Education after a reshuffle.
He is also a member of PTI’s Central Executive Committee, indicating his strong ties with the party leadership and his active role in policy-making.