PA to elect a new CM on Monday: Salman Akram Raja, Federal govt trying to block CM election, alleges Junaid Akbar
JAVED KHAN
PESHAWAR
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday claimed to have finalized its internal strategy to elect Sohail Afridi as the new Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, following the resignation of Ali Amin Gandapur.
The announcement was made during an emergency press conference held at the party’s provincial secretariat in Peshawar.
Addressing the media, PTI’s Central Secretary General Salman Akram Raja confirmed that the process to elect a new chief minister was in motion and will reach its logical conclusion on Monday.
“The change in leadership is an internal matter of the party. Following the directives of our founding chairman Imran Khan, Sohail Afridi is our unanimous choice for Chief Minister,” he stated.
To a question, he clarified the legal position of the resignation of incumbent CM KP under Article 130(8) of the Constitution, asserting that a chief minister’s resignation did not require approval from the governor. “The Governor has received the handwritten resignation of Ali Amin Gandapur, and a receipt has been issued,” he added.
PTI KP chapter president Junaid Akbar Khan, in a media talk, flanked by party leaders including Asad Qaiser, reiterated that the decision to nominate Sohail Afridi was made in a unanimous parliamentary party meeting.
“There is no grouping within PTI. Sohail Afridi has been nominated by the incarcerated Imran Khan for the betterment of the province and the party’s future,” said Akbar.
He emphasized that the transition was part of a democratic parliamentary process.
Asad Qaiser, senior PTI leader and former Speaker of the National Assembly, endorsed Afridi’s nomination, calling him an asset to the party. “He has been with PTI since his student days and served as president of the Insaf Student Federation (ISF). He enjoys the full support of the party,” Qaiser stated.
The party leaders also emphasized that Afridi’s nomination carries significant symbolic value, as he would be the first chief minister from the tribal areas. “We hope his leadership will usher in peace and stability in the province.
PTI has no leniency for terrorism, and we are committed to ending bloodshed,” said Salman Akram Raja.
The party announced that the KP Assembly will convene on Monday (tomorrow), where Sohail Afridi is expected to be formally elected as the new leader of the house. He will then form a new cabinet, which will include fresh faces, according to PTI leadership.
Meanwhile, Governor KP Faisal Karim Kundi, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), confirmed receipt of Gandapur’s resignation. He stated that legal and constitutional requirements will be fulfilled before the resignation is officially implemented.
Due to the Sunday holiday, the Governor’s legal team will reconvene on Monday to finalize the constitutional opinion on the matter. Sources confirmed that the Governor will personally review the legal advice and relevant documentation before taking any final decision.
With both political and legal developments unfolding simultaneously, Monday is shaping up to be a decisive day in KP’s political landscape.
In a significant move, senior PTI leaders, Asad Qaiser, Junaid Akbar, and Irfan Saleem, visited the headquarters of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) to seek the party’s support for the unopposed election of Sohail Afridi as the new Chief Minister in the provincial assembly.
