Peshawar: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s newly elected Chief Minister Sohail Afridi took the oath of office today in a ceremony held at the Governor House, Peshawar. The oath was administered by Governor Faisal Karim Kundi in accordance with a directive of the Peshawar High Court.
The ceremony was attended by Speaker Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Babar Saleem Swati, members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from the national and provincial assemblies, along with senior officials including the Inspector General of Police and the Chief Secretary. A large number of PTI supporters were also present, raising slogans in celebration.
Sohail Afridi’s oath-taking follows days of political tension that began after former Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur announced his resignation on October 8. The development sparked a constitutional debate when Governor Kundi raised objections over discrepancies in Gandapur’s signatures on two resignation letters submitted on October 8 and October 11.
Following the dispute, the Peshawar High Court intervened and directed the Governor to administer the oath to the newly elected Chief Minister by October 15, or else authorize the Speaker to do so. Acting upon the court’s order, Governor Kundi, who had been in Karachi, returned to Peshawar and conducted the oath-taking ceremony.
Earlier, on October 13, the provincial assembly session presided over by Speaker Swati elected Sohail Afridi as the 30th Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 90 votes in his favor.
