The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has been called to meet on the morning of October 13 at 10 am to elect a new prime minister following the resignation of Ali Amin Gandapur, following the instructions of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan.
According to an official notification issued by the Assembly Secretariat, the Speaker exercised powers under Rule 31 (b) of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Provincial Assembly Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business, 2025 to convene the session.
The session, previously scheduled for October 20 at 2:00 p.m., has been brought forward a week. “The President, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by paragraph (b) of Article 31, has convened the session of the Assembly for Monday, October 13, 2025 at 10:00 a.m., which had previously been convened for Monday, October 20, 2025 at 2:00 p.m.,” the notification said.
Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) General Secretary Salman Akram Raja announced that the KP Assembly will meet on Monday to elect a new House leader, following the resignation of outgoing Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.
Addressing a press conference at the KP Assembly Jirga Hall along with the provincial Law Minister, Raja said the session schedule will be released by the Assembly Speaker.
He clarified that the chief minister does not function under the authority of the governor and therefore the governor’s approval is not required for the resignation of the chief minister.
Raja noted that Governor Faisal Karim Kundi had received Gandapur’s resignation, adding that the governor himself acknowledged receipt of it in a post on X (formerly Twitter). The Governor’s House also issued an official recognition, he said.
Citing Article 130 (8) of the Constitution, Raja explained that the resignation of a prime minister takes effect immediately after its submission.
“There is no approval or notification requirement as Article 130(8) does not mention such a process. Once a constitutional officer resigns, it is considered accepted,” he said.
He reiterated that the Prime Minister is not a subordinate officer of the governor and therefore the consent of the governor is irrelevant in this matter.
Legal experts weigh in
The simultaneous announcement of the election of the new chief minister and the governor’s statement on reviewing Gandapur’s resignation “as per law” has raised questions over whether a new chief minister can be elected before the governor’s formal approval and who is constitutionally empowered to convene the assembly session.
When asked for comments, lawyer and constitutional expert Abdul Moiz Jaferii explained that the assembly has full authority to elect a new prime minister immediately after the resignation of the outgoing prime minister.
“Once the CM tenders his resignation, the House can elect another CM. The governor cannot make him wait until his resignation is accepted,” Jaferii explained.
He added that until a new chief minister is elected, the outgoing CM can continue to perform his duties, including convening the assembly session.
Who will be the new leader of the House?
Discussing the upcoming leadership transition, Raja said that a new prime minister will be elected in Monday’s assembly session, the timeline for which will be formally announced by the president.
“Sohail Afridi is a determined and energetic young leader who will take the province forward with a new spirit,” Raja said.
Reiterating PTI’s stance on security, he added: “We have no sympathy for terrorists. Our only prayer is that there is an end to bloodshed and violence in this province.”
Raja further stated that Sohail Afridi, the PTI’s candidate for prime minister, will form a new provincial cabinet according to the direction of PTI founder Imran Khan.
“The cabinet will include both continuity and new faces to ensure effective governance,” he concluded.
PTI leadership swings into action to rally support for KP CM election
In a significant political development, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has approached Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) for support in the upcoming Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister election.
A PTI delegation visited the JUI head office to discuss cooperation and seek support for PTI’s nominated candidate for Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.
The PTI delegation included provincial president Junaid Akbar, Irfan Saleem and other senior leaders. They were warmly received by JUI Provincial General Secretary Senator Maulana Atta-ul-Haq Darvesh, Maulana Jaleel Jan and other JUI representatives.
During the meeting, the PTI formally requested JUI’s support for Sohail Afridi in the upcoming provincial assembly session scheduled for Monday, where the Chief Minister election will take place.
Speaking to the media in Peshawar, JUI leader Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman welcomed the PTI leaders and appreciated their gesture of dialogue.
Junaid Akbar of the PTI claimed that the party had come “to unite the province” and hoped that JUI would support its candidate in a spirit of cooperation.
“We are not just looking for votes: we want to form a joint government that can help the people,” he emphasized.
He further revealed that the PTI had also established contact with the Awami National Party (ANP) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) as part of broader efforts to build consensus on future governance.
“We will also visit Bacha Khan Markaz,” Akbar confirmed, referring to the ANP headquarters.
Akbar, however, expressed concern over attempts to influence PTI members: “They have approached our MPAs and been offered incentives to break away, but we will protect our votes,” he said.
“If efforts are made to dismantle our majority in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa or take away the government from us, then we will make it difficult for the federal government to function,” he warned.
