The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has been summoned to meet on October 13 morning at 10 am to elect a new chief minister following the resignation of Ali Amin Gandapur, on the instructions of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan.
According to an official notification issued by the Assembly Secretariat, the Speaker exercised powers under Rule 31(b) of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Assembly (KP) Rules of Procedure and Conduct, 2025, to convene the session.
The session, which was scheduled for October 20 at 2 p.m., has been brought forward by a week. “Mr. Speaker, while exercising the powers vested in him under paragraph (b) of Rule 31, has convened the sitting of the Assembly on Monday, October 13, 2025 at 10 a.m., which was earlier convened for Monday, October 20, 2025 at 2 p.m.,” the notification said.
Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) General Secretary Salman Akram Raja announced that the KP Assembly would meet on Monday to elect a new leader of the House, following the resignation of outgoing Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.
Addressing a press conference at the Jirga Hall of the KP Assembly alongside the provincial law minister, Raja said the schedule of the session would be released by the Assembly Speaker.
He clarified that the chief minister does not function under the authority of the governor and therefore the approval of the governor is not required for the resignation of the chief minister.
Raja noted that Governor Faisal Karim Kundi had received the resignation from Gandapur, adding that the governor himself had acknowledged receipt in a message on X (formerly Twitter). The Governor House also issued official recognition, he said.
Citing Article 130(8) of the Constitution, Raja explained that the resignation of a chief minister takes effect immediately after his submission.
“There is no requirement for approval or notification as Article 130(8) makes no mention of such a process. Once a holder of a constitutional office resigns, it is deemed to have been accepted,” he said.
He reiterated that the chief minister is not a subordinate officer of the governor and hence the consent of the governor is not relevant in this matter.
Legal experts intervene
The simultaneous announcement of the election of the new chief minister and the governor’s statement on reviewing Gandapur’s resignation “in accordance with law” have raised questions over whether a new chief minister can be elected before the formal approval of the governor, and who is constitutionally empowered to convene the assembly session.
Asked for comments, lawyer and constitutional expert Abdul Moiz Jaferii explained that the assembly had full authority to elect a new chief minister immediately after the resignation of the outgoing chief minister.
“Once the CM submits his resignation, the house can elect another CM. The governor cannot make him wait for his resignation to be accepted,” Jaferii explained.
He added that until a new chief minister is elected, the outgoing CM will be able to continue discharging his duties, including convening the Assembly session.
Who will be the new House leader?
Discussing the upcoming leadership transition, Raja said Monday’s assembly session would elect a new chief minister, with the timetable being officially announced by the president.
“Sohail Afridi is a determined and energetic young leader who will take the province forward with a new spirit,” remarked Raja.
Reiterating PTI’s stance on security, he added: “We have no sympathy for terrorists. Our only prayer is an end to bloodshed and violence in this province.”
Raja further said that Sohail Afridi, the PTI candidate for the post of chief minister, would form a new provincial cabinet as per the advice of PTI founder Imran Khan.
“The cabinet will include both continuity and new faces to ensure effective governance,” he concluded.
PTI leadership swings into action to rally support for KP CM election
In a significant political development, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has approached Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) for support in the upcoming Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister election.
A PTI delegation visited the JUI central office to discuss cooperation and seek support for PTI-nominated candidate for the post of chief minister, Sohail Afridi.
The PTI delegation included provincial president Junaid Akbar, Irfan Saleem and other senior leaders. They were warmly welcomed by Senator Maulana Atta-ul-Haq Darvesh, Provincial General Secretary of JUI, Maulana Jaleel Jan and other JUI representatives.
During the meeting, the PTI formally sought JUI’s support for Sohail Afridi in the next session of the provincial assembly scheduled for Monday, where the election of the chief minister will take place.
Addressing the media in Peshawar, JUI chief Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman welcomed the PTI leaders and appreciated their gesture of dialogue.
PTI’s Junaid Akbar said the party had come “to unite the province” and hoped the JUI would support its candidate in the spirit of cooperation.
“We are not just looking for votes: we want to form a common government that can serve the people,” he stressed.
He further revealed that the PTI had also established contacts with the Awami National Party (ANP) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) as part of broader efforts to build consensus on future governance.
“We will also visit Bacha Khan Markaz,” Akbar confirmed, referring to the ANP headquarters.
However, Akbar expressed concern over attempts to influence PTI members: “Our MPAs have been approached and offered incentives to secede, but we will protect our votes,” he asserted.
“If efforts are made to dismantle our majority in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa or take away the government from us, then we will make it difficult for the federal government to function,” he warned.
