In a significant political development at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly session chaired by Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s nominated candidate Muhammad Sohail Afridi was elected as the new Leader of the House after the opposition staged a walkout and boycotted the proceedings.
Former Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, addressing the house, reiterated that he had assumed the office on the direction of PTI founder Imran Khan and that he resigned promptly when instructed by his party leadership.
The session witnessed tense moments as a large number of PTI workers gathered at the assembly, raised slogans, and at times clashed with security personnel stationed at the doors before being allowed inside; the speaker nevertheless proceeded to deliver his ruling.
He noted that Gandapur had submitted his resignation to the governor on October 8 and again provided written notice on October 11, which, in the speaker’s view, rendered the resignation constitutionally valid and paved the way for electing a new leader of the house in accordance with legal procedures.
A voting process followed after allowing time for absent members to register their presence; government members assembled in the designated lobby to support Sohail Afridi.
Afridi secured 90 votes, comfortably crossing the required threshold, while the opposition candidates failed to garner support due to their boycott. The speaker upheld the election as constitutional, and newly elected Chief Minister Afridi received congratulations from assembly members.
Sohail Afridi, who hails from District Khyber, was first elected to the provincial assembly in the 2024 general elections. He has previously served as president of the Insaf Students Federation, acted as Special Assistant for Communication and Works, and later served as provincial minister for higher education.
He is also a member of PTI’s Central Executive Committee. In his maiden address, Afridi thanked his leadership, emphasized his tribal roots and personal hard work, pledged to pursue the release of the party’s leader, and vowed to pursue policies he said would protect rights and uphold the province’s interests.
