PESHAWAR (Kashmir English): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Sohail Afridi has been elected as the new Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa here on Monday.
The session of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly for the election to the post of Chief Minister was convened today, where Speaker Babar Saleem Swati declared Sohail Afridi as the winner as Leader of the House, securing 90 votes.
The opposition boycotted the Election.
The opposition parties have been persistently boycotting the election, calling it “unconstitutional.” Opposition parties did not cooperate with the process, though. Speaker Swati made it clear that the election followed the constitutional timetable, saying, “The chief minister is the constitutional head of the province and must be elected as per the law.”
Opposition Leader Dr. Ibadullah adopted the stance that the resignation of Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has not been accepted yet, and the Governor has sent it back.
Hence, appointing another Chief Minister when there is already one Chief Minister is an unconstitutional step. He informed that the opposition will not be involved in any unconstitutional action.
In his speech, there was commotion in the House. Speaker Babar Saleem Swati warned PTI workers that the Chief Minister will never be elected on your slogans. “Do not compel me to adjourn the assembly proceedings and evict you,” he said.
Making a clear ruling, the Speaker stated that Ali Amin Gandapur has resigned, and it has been established on the assembly floor as well.
The speaker ordered that it is my constitutional responsibility to nominate the Chief Minister of the province.
He added that a lot of forces don’t want Sohail Afridi as the Chief Minister, but we will go through the democratic process.
Dr. Ibadullah added that if Ali Amin Gandapur performed so well, then why was he dismissed? But while the speaker was speaking, members of the opposition walked out of the house in protest.
In spite of the PTI workers’ slogans and hue and cry, the speaker declared the continuation of the election process and stated that the Chief Minister will be elected in the assembly.
The atmosphere within the house was tense, but the government looked set for the election process.
Former CM Gandapur Statement
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ex-Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur confirmed his resignation while sharing his opinions in the assembly and stated that he desires the dominance of the law and constitution and will proceed as per the party’s decision.
He stated that the resignation was submitted on the same day at the behest of Imran Khan, and this process should not be ridiculed as a democracy. The Chief Minister pleaded that delaying tactics should not be exercised in this process.
Ali Amin Gandapur also added that whatever he did as Chief Minister is on record, and the treasury was better in the government’s time. When he took charge, the treasury was dry, but now there are 280 billion rupees in the treasury.
He mentioned that his struggle is for the party and Imran Khan because, in his view, Imran Khan is conducting the war of this country, and now political parties should sit down and work together to address the problems of the nation.
It also needs to be pointed out that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has rejected the resignation of Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on the grounds of dissimilar signatures and has personally called him to the Governor’s House on October 15.
