Sohail Afridi elected as new Chief Minister of KP

PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)  leader Sohail Afridi has been elected the new Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) despite the boycott from the opposition parties.

Sohail Afridi secured 90 votes, whereas Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) Maulana Lutfur Rehman, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Sardar Shahjehan Yousaf, and Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) Arbab Zarak Khan got no votes.

The total number of members in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly is 145, out of which 93 are government members and 52 are opposition members.

73 votes will be required to be elected as the Leader of the House.

CM KPK Sohail Afridi’s Address in the Assembly

Newly elected Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sohail Afridi, said in his first address to the provincial assembly that I am very grateful to my leader Imran Khan who gave an opportunity to a worker like me from the lower and middle class.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Sohail Afridi has said that he takes pride in his tribal identity, emphasizing that he considers himself a Pakistani above all.

Afridi said he was ridiculed for his tribal background after being nominated but remained steadfast in his commitment.

“I am proud to be a tribal. When I was nominated, people mocked me for it, but I have made up my mind that tribes have always faced struggles,” he remarked.

He added that PTI founding chairman Imran Khan was well aware of the hardships faced by tribal communities and that the people of the tribal areas are pleased with his decisions.

He said that military operations are not a solution to any problem. Imran Khan is against the operation; no military operation will be carried out while we are there.

Decisions have been made in closed rooms till now, which is why the situation is not good. To improve the situation, the leaders will have to be taken into confidence, and the Afghan policy will have to be reviewed.

During Imran Khan’s tenure, there was no problem with Afghanistan; Afghans are being pushed out after 40 years.

He said that I am a champion of protest politics, I have nothing to lose, so we will start efforts for Imran Khan’s release from today itself. If Imran Khan is transferred from jail to anywhere without our consultation, the whole of Pakistan will be blocked.

The job of institutions that consider themselves states is not to hold political press conferences but to protect the mandate of the people.

A person came from Islamabad and Rawalpindi to Peshawar to declare PTI a terrorist and held a press conference.

The newly elected Chief Minister thanked his party leadership, PTI senators, and all the officials, terming PTI’s social media as Pakistan’s ‘biggest establishment’ and Arshad Sharif as the ‘biggest martyr’.

Sohail Afridi also paid tribute to former Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur for resigning at the behest of Imran Khan.

Opposition Parties boycotted the Assembly session

There was a huge uproar in the House during the election of the new Chief Minister in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.

The opposition boycotted the session while the hall echoed with the slogans of PTI workers.

Opposition Leader Dr. Ibadullah took the stand that the resignation of Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has not been accepted yet, and the Governor has returned it.

Therefore, electing another Chief Minister while there is one Chief Minister is an unconstitutional act. He said that the opposition will not be a part of any unconstitutional move.

During his speech, there was a ruckus in the House. Speaker Babar Saleem Swati warned the PTI workers that the Chief Minister will not be elected with your slogans. “Do not force me to stop the assembly proceedings and throw you out,” he added.

Giving a clear ruling, the Speaker said that Ali Amin Gandapur has resigned, and it has also been confirmed on the assembly floor.

The speaker ruled that it is my constitutional duty to elect the Chief Minister of the province.

He further said that many forces do not want Sohail Afridi to become the Chief Minister, but we will complete the democratic process.

Dr. Ibadullah said that if Ali Amin Gandapur’s performance was so good, why was he removed? However, during his speech, opposition members walked out of the house in protest.

Despite the slogans and noise of PTI workers in the assembly hall, the speaker announced the continuation of the election process and said that the Chief Minister will be elected in the assembly.

The situation inside the house was tense, but the government appeared determined for the election process.

Gandapur Statement

Former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur confirmed his resignation while expressing his views in the assembly and said that he wants the supremacy of the constitution and law and will act according to the party’s decision.

He said that the resignation was given on the same day at the orders of Imran Khan, and this process should not be made a joke of democracy. The Chief Minister appealed that delaying tactics should not be used in this process.

Ali Amin Gandapur further said that whatever he did as Chief Minister is on record, and the treasury improved during the government’s tenure. When he came, the treasury was empty, but today there are 280 billion rupees in the treasury.

He said that his struggle is for the party and Imran Khan because, according to him, Imran Khan is fighting the war of this nation, and now political parties must sit together and focus on solving the country’s problems.

It should also be noted that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has returned the resignation of Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, citing different signatures, and has summoned him personally to the Governor’s House on October 15.