PESHAWAR:
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) managed to overcome a number of constitutional and legal hurdles to hold elections for the new Chief Minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), resulting in the victory of its candidate Muhammad Sohail Afridi on Monday.
Afridi obtained 90 votes in a one-sided contest marked by high drama, strong slogans and a total boycott by opposition parties, which had opposed the electoral process. As a result, the three opposition candidates did not receive any votes.
The vote was held because, despite their boycott, the opposition parties did not formally withdraw their candidates: Maulana Lutfur Rehman of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Sardar Shahjahan Yusuf of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Arbab Zarak of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
The elections took place after the resignation of Ali Amin Gandapur. However, the PTI-led administration took decisive steps to ensure that the elections took place despite the prevailing uncertainty.
Gandapur had tendered his resignation to KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on October 11. However, the governor, citing receipt of two resignation letters, summoned Gandapur on Wednesday to verify which one was authentic.
Monday’s assembly session was called only for the elections. It began amidst loud chants from PTI members and sympathizers. After Gandapur addressed the house, opposition leader Dr Ibadullah stood up and argued that the governor had not yet accepted the resignation.
Dr Ibadullah maintained that holding elections for a new prime minister while the incumbent prime minister remained in office was illegal. “The procedure followed for these elections is unconstitutional,” he declared before leading the strike in opposition seats.
As the opposition walked out of the chamber, PTI lawmakers intensified their chanting, prompting Speaker Babar Saleem Swati to repeatedly call for order. Despite the shock, the president proceeded with the election. He read the rules, listed the four candidates, and instructed that the assembly bells be rung for five minutes to ensure the presence of all members.
The Treasury lawmakers then gathered in lobby number 1, designated for those who voted for PTI candidate Sohail Afridi. Once the voting was over, the president announced the results: Afridi had received 90 votes, while Rehman, Yusuf and Zarak had received none.
Following the announcement, PTI legislators rushed to congratulate the newly elected house leader, chanting victory slogans. Senior PTI leaders including Salman Akram Raja, Junaid Akbar, Kamran Bangash, Taimur Jhagra, Mohammad Atif and Arbab Sher Ali were present in the galleries during the session.
After the elections, the PTI filed a petition before the Peshawar High Court (PHC), seeking immediate administration of oath to the newly elected prime minister. The court adjourned the hearing until Tuesday (today) to continue the proceedings.
