PESHAWAR:
The formation of a new provincial government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has hit a major hurdle as outgoing Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s resignation has reportedly “disappeared”, delaying the oath-taking of CM-designate Sohail Afridi.
Confusion surrounds the resignation, with conflicting claims about whether it was submitted or received. Sources in the Governor’s House said no official resignation had been received, while political circles insisted that Gandapur had already resigned.
The uncertainty has disrupted the transfer of power and raised fears of a possible constitutional crisis in the province.
Officials at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat said Gandapur’s resignation had been submitted to the Governor’s House on Wednesday evening, the same day he was asked to leave the post.
However, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, who was in Islamabad, and other officials of the Governor’s Secretariat remained tight-lipped on the issue.
A Kundi staff official said they were yet to receive the resignation letter. “As far as I know, the resignation has not yet reached the Governor’s Office,” the official said, adding that the governor would sign it whenever he received it.
Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, Kundi described reports of the receipt of the resignation letter at the Governor House as “fake news”.
While there is ambiguity surrounding the whereabouts of Gandapur’s resignation letter, the PTI has chosen Sohail Afridi, an MPA from Khyber district, as his possible replacement. However, to take over as CM, he will first have to secure majority support in the 145-member KP Assembly.
Meanwhile, in a lengthy message on X, former Prime Minister Imran Khan defended his decision to change the KP PM.
The jailed leader framed the move as a constitutional and necessary response to the worsening security situation in the province, defended the election of Sohail Afridi as the new leader and laid out his long-held view on counter-terrorism strategy.
“In the context of the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the change of Prime Minister was inevitable and it is a constitutional process that has taken place in other provinces of this country as well. No one should interfere so that the process can be completed as quickly as possible. If anyone tries to interfere, there will be strong protests,” he wrote.
He explained that Suhail Afridi was chosen “due to his long association with the ideals of the ISF and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf since his student days.” “This decision also reinforces the narrative of involving grassroots workers in the decision-making process instead of relying solely on those eligible,” he added.
The former prime minister claimed that “some quarters are trying to link the change of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister to members of my family, which is completely wrong.”
She explained that the decision was entirely political and that no member of her family had influence over it. “No member of my family has any connection with my political decisions.”
“Ali Amin is one of my old and loyal colleagues, but he has been embroiled in controversies. These disputes arose from a policy to confront terrorism that was based on empty firepower without a comprehensive political strategy by Asim Munir. The year 2025 is the worst year in Pakistan’s history with respect to terrorist incidents, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province can no longer endure this situation. I hope that “The new Prime Minister and his team will adopt a comprehensive policy, in collaboration with public representatives, aimed at eliminating terrorism and establishing lasting peace,” the post reads.
He emphasized that over the last two decades, he has articulated a clear strategy to counter terrorism, recalling that the strategy helped control terrorism to a large extent during the PTI’s three and a half years in power. “During that period, the PTI even held talks with the anti-Pakistan, India-friendly Ashraf Ghani government and resolved issues relating to tribal people and Afghan refugees through dialogue and understanding.”
He further mentioned that in 2021, the then military leadership proposed a plan to rehabilitate terrorists who had surrendered, but our elected representatives of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and tribal areas rejected that plan. It was not implemented during our tenure. “However, contrary to the facts, the PTI is now falsely accused that terrorism in the country arose because terrorists were settled during our time. The nation must be told exactly which terrorists were settled, when, where and how,” he added.
“It is sometimes said that the Afghan government is responsible for terrorism in Pakistan, and that terrorists based in Afghanistan carry out operations in Pakistan; At other times it is claimed that terrorism is caused by Afghan refugees who have lived in Pakistan for decades. Both claims are wrong: despite expelling millions of Afghan refugees in a shameful and humiliating manner, terrorism has continued to increase. “These contradictory statements reveal the public-detrimental confusion of the system imposed by Asim Munir.”
He stressed that his position in the fight against terrorism has always been unequivocal. “History also shows that if one relies solely on force rather than strategy and organized political knowledge, failure is inevitable. Collateral damage from military operations leads people to take up arms in revenge, and the cycle only gets worse.”
“In the name of political revenge, baseless cases have been brought against me repeatedly. Cases big and small – including Toshakhana, Al-Qadir, cypher, Iddat and again Toshakhana – have been brought against me and my wife Bushra Bibi simply to make me bow down and abandon my commitment to true freedom. I want to tell my nation again: no matter what they do, I will not bow down to them, nor I will allow my nation to bow.”
According to constitutional experts, until the resignation is formally accepted, Ali Amin Gandapur will remain the legitimate prime minister. However, Gandapur, during a recent parliamentary meeting of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, made it clear that he would not return to office or take up any office again.
Former governor Barrister Masood Kausar explained that the Constitution clearly defines the procedure for the resignation of a prime minister. “If the governor says he has not received the resignation while the prime minister insists he has sent it, the matter becomes deadlocked. Until formal approval is issued, Gandapur technically remains in office,” he said.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Friday called on Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman at his residence in Islamabad as part of his ongoing political consultations amid the evolving political situation in the province.
According to party sources, senior JUI-F leaders Maulana Lutfur Rehman and Maulana Asjad Mahmood were also present during the meeting.
The discussion focused on the dramatic changes in the political landscape of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with both sides exchanging views on current developments and political alignments of the province.
Meanwhile, opposition parties are also divided over the transition of power. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) are yet to agree on a joint candidate for the prime minister’s post, while the Awami National Party (ANP) has refused to support any opposition-led candidate.
Meanwhile, the KP government has started considering multiple options to resolve the issue regarding the “missing” resignation of CM Ali Amin Gandapur, including the possibility of moving a no-confidence motion against him and convening the provincial assembly.
According to sources, a high-level meeting of the ruling party was held at the Chief Minister House on Friday night to deliberate on the crisis.
The session was attended by President Babar Saleem Swati, CM-designate Sohail Afridi, former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, Provincial President Junaid Akbar and several other senior leaders.
Inside sources revealed that the provincial government discussed various strategic options in view of the unresolved status of Gandapur’s resignation. Among the proposals being considered is a vote of no confidence against the outgoing prime minister if the resignation issue remains unresolved.
Sources said once a final decision is made on the motion, signatures will be collected from members in support of the resolution. The leaders are also reportedly considering the option of resubmitting Gandapur’s resignation to the governor to remove any ambiguity.
