PESHAWAR:
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) managed to overcome a series of constitutional and legal hurdles to hold the election of the new chief minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), resulting in the victory of its candidate, Muhammad Sohail Afridi, on Monday.
Afridi secured 90 votes in a one-sided election marked by drama, loud slogans and a total boycott by opposition parties, who had opposed the electoral process. As a result, the three opposition candidates received no votes.
The vote took place because, despite their boycott, the opposition parties did not formally withdraw their candidates – 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 People’s Party (PPP).
The election took place following the resignation of Ali Amin Gandapur. The PTI-led administration, however, acted decisively to ensure the elections went ahead despite the prevailing uncertainty.
Gandapur had submitted his resignation to KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on October 11. However, the governor, citing receipt of two resignation letters, summoned Gandapur on Wednesday to verify which one was genuine.
Monday’s assembly session was convened only for the elections. It began amid loud chants of PTI members and supporters. After Gandapur addressed the House, Opposition Leader Dr Ibadullah stood up and argued that the governor was yet to accept the resignation.
Dr Ibadullah argued that it was illegal to hold an election for a new chief minister while the incumbent chief minister remained in office. “The procedure followed for this election is unconstitutional,” he said before leading the opposition in a walkout.
As the opposition left the hall, PTI lawmakers intensified their chants, prompting Speaker Babar Saleem Swati to call for order several times. Despite the commotion, the speaker proceeded with the election. He read the rules, listed the four candidates and ordered that the assembly bells ring for five minutes to ensure the presence of all members.
Treasury lawmakers then gathered in Lobby No. 1, reserved for those voting for PTI candidate Sohail Afridi. Once the voting was over, the speaker announced the results: Afridi had received 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 victory slogans. Senior PTI leaders including Salman Akram Raja, Junaid Akbar, Kamran Bangash, Taimur Jhagra, Mohammad Atif and Arbab Sher Ali were present in the stands during the session.
After the elections, the PTI filed a petition in the Peshawar High Court (PHC), demanding that the newly elected chief minister take oath immediately. The court adjourned the hearing until Tuesday (today) for further proceedings.
