There was jubilation all around as Sohail Afridi, who had been nominated by former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan for the seat of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chief minister (CM), was on Monday ‘elected’ as the Leader of the House by securing 90 votes, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Earlier, despite protest by the members of the opposition that they would not cast their votes in the election for the new chief minister when the resignation of sitting Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had not been accepted, the assembly speaker insisted that the voting would be held today as per the declared procedure.
The speaker said that Gandapur had sent his resignation to Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on October 8, then he again sent his resignation to the governor on October 11. “Later, on the floor of the House, he stated that he had resigned from his seat.”
He told the opposition members that he would be forced to order their expulsion from the assembly in case they did not stop making the noise.
The members of the opposition staged a walkout as a mark of protest.
Earlier, calling the entire process unconstitutional, Leader of the Opposition in the KP Assembly Ibadullah said that how the votes could be cast when there was already a chief minister in the province since the governor was still to accept his resignation.
He said that he still considered Gandapur as the provincial chief minister.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnXdw6ee9uY
What could be termed a unique election, the PTI on Monday managed to get its candidate, Sohail Afridi, elected as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chief minister in a rush despite the fact that the provincial governor was yet to accept the resignation of the sitting CM Ali Amin Gandapur.
Earlier, within 15 minutes of the walkout staged by the opposition, 90 PTI MPAs elected a new chief minister.
First Pakistani, then a tribesman, says KP CM-elect Sohail Afridi
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister-elect Sohail Afridi on Monday said that first of all he was a Pakistani and then a Pashtun.
Delivering his maiden speech after having been elected as the provincial chief minister, he thanked his leader, former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan for reposing trust in him and nominating him for the position.
He further said that he was a PTI worker and belonged to an ordinary family.
He said that he rose to eminence by hard work.
He also paid rich tributes to the outgoing CM Ali Amin Gandapur.
The CM-elect went on to say that he believed in public service.
Afridi lamented that a London plan was drawn up under which a democratically elected PTI government was ousted from power. “In fact, the plan was to obliterate the PTI, but the orchestrators of the plan failed,” he claimed.
Opposition to challenge CM’s election in court
Leader of the Opposition in the KP Assembly Dr Ibadullah said that the election of the new chief minister is unconstitutional and they will move court against this election.
“We thought Gandapur’s resignation has been accepted, so our candidates submitted their nomination papers to contest the election,” he said and added now they will challenge this election in court tomorrow (Tuesday).
Reporter: Manzoor Hussain