PESHAWAR – Peshawar High Court (PHC) reserved its verdict on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) plea to bypass Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and authorize of equal authority to swear in new Chief Minister-elect, Sohail Afridi.
The political drama unfolded amid full-blown constitutional crisis, with Imran Khan led PTI insisting that former CM Ali Amin Gandapur’s resignation was valid and final, while the governor claimed the signatures on his letters didn’t match!
Despite chaos, PTI went ahead and elected Afridi as chief minister in a session boycotted by the entire opposition, prompting fresh outrage and legal action from rival parties.
During Monday’s hearing, high-profile lawyers went head-to-head as PTI’s counsel Salman Akram Raja accused the opposition of trying to derail the democratic process. “Why does the governor need to verify Gandapur’s resignation? The assembly has spoken — delay is unconstitutional!” he thundered.
Governor Kundi’s lawyer, Amir Javed, defended his client, saying governor only wanted to ensure legal formalities were met. PHC Chief Justice S.M. Attique Shah cut through fog, noting that under Article 255, a CM’s resignation doesn’t require approval.
As arguments heated up, the CJ pointedly asked: “Who is running the province right now?” Just as PTI sought to secure Afridi’s oath, JUI-F leader Maulana Lutfur Rehman launched a counterattack, filing a petition demanding that the entire CM election be scrapped.
Calling the process “unlawful, arbitrary, and politically tainted,” Rehman urged Peshawar High Court to declare Afridi’s election null and void, arguing that no new chief minister could be chosen while Gandapur’s resignation was still “unverified.”
Rehman’s petition warned that PTI’s move had “thrown the province into constitutional chaos” and demanded a fresh election only after the CM’s office was legally vacant.
The entire crisis traces back to Imran Khan’s directive on October 8 ordering Gandapur to step down. Gandapur swiftly complied, but his resignation triggered an administrative tug-of-war.
The Governor’s House first denied receiving the resignation, then later returned two versions, one typed, one handwritten, citing “discrepant signatures.”
Meanwhile, PTI moved full speed ahead, insisting the resignation was valid and that Governor Kundi was deliberately stalling.
Ignoring the controversy, Speaker Swati convened the assembly and conducted the electionm, which the opposition boycotted — allowing PTI’s Sohail Afridi to win unopposed with 90 votes.
PHC has reserved its verdict, leaving the province in political limbo. As of now, Ali Amin Gandapur insists he has resigned, the governor refuses to accept it, and the new CM-elect still hasn’t been sworn in.
With both the governor’s authority and PTI’s mandate under question, KP stands on the brink of a constitutional showdown that could reshape the province’s political future.
Analysts warn that unless the court provides a clear direction, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa may remain in administrative paralysis — a province with two chief ministers, but no government.
