PESHAWAR:
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) managed to navigate a series of constitutional and legal hurdles to hold the election for the new Chief Minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), resulting in the victory of its candidate, Muhammad Sohail Afridi, on Monday.
Afridi secured 90 votes in a one-sided contest marked by high drama, loud sloganeering, and a complete boycott by opposition parties, who had objected to the election process. As a result, the three opposition candidates failed to receive any votes.
Voting was conducted because, despite their boycott, the opposition parties did not formally withdraw their nominees – Maulana Lutfur Rehman of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Sardar Shahjahan Yusuf of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and Arbab Zarak of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
The election came in the wake of Ali Amin Gandapur’s resignation. The PTI-led administration, however, moved decisively to ensure the election proceeded despite the prevailing uncertainty.
Gandapur had submitted his resignation to K-P Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on October 11. However, the governor, citing the receipt of two resignation letters, summoned Gandapur on Wednesday to verify which one was authentic.
Monday’s assembly session was convened solely for the election. It began amid loud chants from PTI members and supporters. After Gandapur addressed the house, Opposition Leader Dr Ibadullah rose and argued that the governor had not yet accepted the resignation.
Dr Ibadullah contended that holding an election for a new chief minister while the sitting chief minister remained in office was unlawful. “The procedure being followed for this election is unconstitutional,” he declared before leading the opposition benches in a walkout.
As the opposition exited the chamber, PTI lawmakers intensified their chanting, prompting Speaker Babar Saleem Swati to repeatedly call for order. Despite the commotion, the speaker proceeded with the election. He read out the rules, listed the four candidates, and instructed that the assembly bells be rung for five minutes to ensure the presence of all members.
Treasury legislators then assembled in Lobby No 1, designated for those voting for PTI’s candidate, Sohail Afridi. Once voting concluded, the speaker announced the results – Afridi had secured 90 votes, while Rehman, Yusuf, and Zarak had received none.
Following the announcement, PTI lawmakers rushed to congratulate the newly elected leader of the house, chanting slogans of victory. Senior PTI leaders, including Salman Akram Raja, Junaid Akbar, Kamran Bangash, Taimur Jhagra, Mohammad Atif, and Arbab Sher Ali, were present in the galleries during the session.
After the election, the PTI filed a petition in the Peshawar High Court (PHC), seeking immediate administration of oath to the newly elected chief minister. The court adjourned the hearing until Tuesday (today) for further proceedings.
