ISLAMABAD: Lawmakers in Pakistan’s northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday elected Sohail Afridi as their new chief minister, replacing Ali Amin Gandapur who resigned last week amid internal reshuffling in the party of former prime minister Imran Khan.
Afridi, the nominee of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, secured a majority in the provincial assembly, which met in Peshawar for the leadership vote. The PTI holds a commanding presence in the 145-member house, making Afridi’s victory a foregone conclusion.
“I thank Imran Khan for getting a person like me, from the middle class, elected as Chief Minister,” Afridi said on X. “I am thanking the tribal Imran Khan. We have to end caste, political discrimination, and the difference between rich and poor.”
The assembly vote followed a week of political maneuvering within PTI after Khan, who remains imprisoned on multiple charges, directed Gandapur to step down amid concerns about governance and the deteriorating security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The province, which borders Afghanistan, has witnessed a resurgence of militant attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other groups in recent months.
Gandapur, who took office last year after PTI’s victory in provincial elections, was considered one of Khan’s most loyal allies. His removal underscores growing internal recalibration as the party seeks to maintain its hold on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, its political stronghold since 2013, while facing pressure from the federal government and the military establishment.
Afridi, a legislator from Bara district near the Afghan border, is expected to face significant challenges, including rebuilding provincial finances and curbing cross-border militancy. Analysts say his leadership will be closely watched as a test of PTI’s ability to govern effectively while its founder remains in prison.
