Governor Kundi administers oath to newly-elected CM to ‘end political deadlock’

  • Ceremony held at Governor House Peshawar marks end of days-long standoff over Ali Amin Gandapur’s disputed resignation
  • Peshawar High Court directed governor to conduct oath by 4pm on October 15 after delay
  • PTI founder Sohail Afridi to form cabinet; consultations with central leadership underway

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Wednesday administered the oath of office to newly elected Chief Minister Sohail Afridi at the Governor House, formally ending days of political deadlock and uncertainty triggered by the resignation dispute of former CM Ali Amin Gandapur.

The ceremony—attended by senior political leaders, lawmakers, and top provincial officials—marked the culmination of a tense standoff between the PTI-led provincial government and the Governor House, which had delayed Afridi’s oath on legal grounds until the Peshawar High Court intervened and directed the governor to administer it by 4pm on October 15.

Prominent attendees included KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, Deputy Speaker Suraiya Bibi, former governor Shah Farman, PTI provincial president Junaid Akbar, party’s central secretary general Salman Akram Raja, as well as senators, MNAs, MPAs, and senior bureaucrats including Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah and IGP Zulfiqar Hameed.

Governor Kundi congratulated Afridi on assuming office and expressed hope for his successful tenure. However, the event briefly descended into chaos when jubilant PTI workers rushed to the stage, chanting slogans and disrupting the proceedings.

Afridi’s elevation as chief minister came on the direct instructions of PTI founder Imran Khan, who, according to party sources, has also authorised the new CM to finalise his cabinet from among PTI’s elected representatives. Consultations with the party’s central leadership are said to be underway, with indications that some key ministers, including provincial finance adviser Muzzammil Aslam, may retain their portfolios.

Earlier in the day, a PTI delegation led by Salman Akram Raja met Governor Kundi to convey the party’s stance on the oath-taking issue. The meeting followed weeks of tension sparked by Gandapur’s resignation, which the governor initially refused to accept due to “discrepancies” between two separately signed letters dated October 8 and 11.

Governor Kundi publicly shared his objections on X, citing mismatched signatures, while Gandapur maintained both letters were genuine. Amid the impasse, Speaker Swati convened the assembly session on October 13, during which Afridi—the PTI nominee—secured 90 votes to become the province’s 30th chief minister.

The opposition, led by JUI-F’s Maulana Lutfur Rehman, staged a walkout, leaving all three of its candidates—from JUI-F, PML-N and PPP—without a single vote. Out of 145 total assembly members, Afridi comfortably crossed the required threshold of 73 votes.

Following the high court’s ruling, Governor Kundi—who was in Karachi at the time—returned to Peshawar and complied with the court order, bringing an end to the week-long political crisis that had stalled the province’s administrative functioning.

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