PESHAWAR:
The formation of a new provincial government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has hit a major snag as outgoing Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s resignation is said to have gone missing, delaying the swearing-in of CM-designate Sohail Afridi.
Confusion surrounds the resignation, with conflicting claims about whether it was submitted or received. Sources at the Governor’s House said no official resignation had been received, while political circles insisted that Gandapur had already resigned.
The uncertainty has thrown the transfer of power into disarray and raised fears of a potential constitutional crisis in the province.
Officials at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat said Gandapur’s resignation was submitted to the Governor House on Wednesday evening, the same day he was asked to vacate the post.
However, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, who was in Islamabad, and other officials of the Governor’s Secretariat remained tight-lipped on the issue.
An official from Kundi’s team said he was yet to receive the resignation letter. “As far as I know, the resignation has not yet reached the governor’s office,” the official said, adding that the governor would sign it as soon as he receives it.
Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, Kundi termed reports of receipt of the resignation letter at the Governor House as “fake news”.
As ambiguity surrounds the whereabouts of Gandapur’s resignation letter, the PTI has chosen Sohail Afridi, an MPA from Khyber district, as its potential replacement. However, to take over as CM, he will first have to secure the support of the majority in the 145-member KP Assembly.
Meanwhile, in a lengthy post on X, former Prime Minister Imran Khan defended his decision to change the KP chief minister.
The incarcerated leader presented the decision as a constitutional and necessary response to the deteriorating security situation in the province, defended the choice of Sohail Afridi as the new leader and outlined his long-held view on counterterrorism strategy.
“In the context of the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the change of chief minister was inevitable and this is a constitutional process which has also taken place in other provinces of this country. No one should intervene so that the process can be completed as quickly as possible. If anyone tries to intervene, there will be strong protests,” he wrote.
He said Suhail Afridi was chosen “because of his long-standing association with the ideals of ISF and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf since his student days”. “This move also reinforces the idea of involving grassroots workers in the decision-making process instead of relying only on eligible items,” he added.
The former prime minister claimed that “some are trying to link the change of chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to my family members, which is completely wrong.”
He explained that the decision was entirely political and that no member of his family had any influence over it. “No member of my family has anything to do with my political decisions.”
“Ali Amin is one of my old and trusted colleagues, but he has been embroiled in controversies. These disputes arose from a counter-terrorism policy that relied on meaningless firepower without a comprehensive political strategy from Asim Munir. The year 2025 is the worst year in Pakistan’s history for terrorist incidents, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province is not can no longer bear this situation. I “hope that the new Chief Minister and his team will adopt a comprehensive policy, in collaboration with public representatives, aimed at eliminating terrorism and establishing lasting peace,” the message read.
He pointed out that over the past two decades, he has articulated a clear strategy to combat terrorism, recalling that the strategy helped bring terrorism largely under control during the PTI’s three and a half years in power. “During this period, PTI even held talks with the anti-Pakistan, pro-India government of Ashraf Ghani and resolved issues regarding tribals and Afghan refugees through dialogue and understanding.”
He further mentioned that in 2021, the then military rulers had proposed a plan to rehabilitate the surrendered terrorists, but our elected representatives from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and tribal areas rejected this plan. This was not implemented during our tenure. “Yet, contrary to the facts, the PTI is now falsely accused that terrorism in the country arose because terrorists were installed in this era. The nation must know exactly which terrorists were installed, when, where and how,” he added.
“Sometimes it is said that the Afghan government is responsible for terrorism in Pakistan and that terrorists based in Afghanistan carry out operations in Pakistan; other times, it is claimed that terrorism is caused by Afghan refugees who have lived in Pakistan for decades. Both claims are false: despite the expulsion of millions of Afghan refugees in a shameful and humiliating manner, terrorism has continued to rise. These contradictory statements reveal the confusion, harmful to the public, of the system imposed by Asim Munir. »
He stressed that his position in the fight against terrorism has always been unequivocal. “History also shows that if one relies solely on force rather than organized political vision and strategy, failure is inevitable. The collateral damage of military operations drives people to take up arms in revenge, and the cycle only gets worse.”
“In the name of political vengeance, baseless cases have been filed against me repeatedly. Cases large and small – including Toshakhana, Al-Qadir, Cypher, Iddat and again Toshakhana – have been filed against me and my wife Bushra Bibi simply to make me give in and abandon my commitment to true freedom. I want to repeat to my nation: whatever they do, I will not bow down to them, and I will not allow my nation to bow. “
According to constitutionalists, until the resignation is formally accepted, Ali Amin Gandapur remains the legitimate chief minister. However, Gandapur, in a recent parliamentary meeting of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, made it clear that he would not return to office or hold any position again.
Former governor, lawyer Masood Kausar, explained that the constitution clearly lays down the procedure for resignation of a chief minister. “If the governor says he has not received the resignation while the chief minister insists that he has sent it, the matter enters into an impasse. Until formal approval is issued, Gandapur technically remains in office,” he said.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Friday visited Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman at his residence in Islamabad as part of his ongoing political consultations amid the evolving political situation in the province.
According to party sources, senior JUI-F leaders Maulana Lutfur Rehman and Maulana Asjad Mahmood were also present in the meeting.
The discussion focused on the dramatic changes in the political landscape of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with both sides exchanging views on current developments and political alignments in the province.
Meanwhile, opposition parties are also divided over the transition of power. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) are yet to agree on a common candidate for the post of chief minister, while the Awami National Party (ANP) has refused to support any opposition-led candidate.
Meanwhile, the KP government has started considering several options to resolve the issue of CM Ali Amin Gandapur’s ‘missing’ resignation, including the possibility of filing a no-confidence motion against him and convening the provincial assembly.
According to sources, a high-level meeting of the ruling party was held on Friday evening at the Chief Minister’s House to deliberate over the crisis.
The session was attended by President Babar Saleem Swati, CM nominee Sohail Afridi, former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, provincial President Junaid Akbar and several other senior leaders.
Insiders revealed that the provincial government had discussed several strategic options in view of the unresolved status of Gandapur’s resignation. Among the proposals under consideration is a no-confidence motion against the outgoing chief minister if the resignation issue is not resolved.
Sources said once a final decision is taken on the motion, signatures will be collected from members in favor of the resolution. The leaders would also consider the possibility of resubmitting Gandapur’s resignation to the governor to remove any ambiguity.
