Afridi elected new CM with 90 votes amid opposition’s walkout

Pakistan Tehrik-Insaf (PTI) leader Sohail Afridi on Monday was elected the new chief executive of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) during an assembly session marred by the opposition’s walkout and despite prevailing uncertainty regarding the resignation of outgoing Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.

KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, who pushed ahead with the election despite the opposition walkout, announced that the three opposition candidates — Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) nominee Maulana Lufur Rehman, Sardar Shah Jehan Yousaf of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and Arbab Zarak Khan of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) — all received zero votes.

Noting that three members of the assembly were out of the country, he announced that Afridi had won the election after securing 90 votes, prompting chants in favour of the PTI leader to ring out in the assembly hall.

Afridi needed to secure at least 73 votes in the 145-strong KP Assembly to win the election. Out of a total of 53 opposition members, 51 walked out of the assembly on the call of the opposition leader; the remaining two were not present for the session.

Meanwhile, leader of the opposition Dr Ibadullah said they did not accept Afridi as the new chief minister.

“The PTI is interpreting the law as per their understanding, we are doing it according to our understanding. There are grey areas and now the court has to decide,” he said, adding that the opposition would knock on the doors of the courts. He contended that there were now “two chief ministers” in the province as Gandapur’s resignation had not been accepted.

While Gandapur has submitted two separate resignations to Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, both have been returned over “disparate signatures.” Kundi has summoned Gandapur on Wednesday to settle the matter.

Before announcing the results, KP Assembly Speaker Swati, in a message to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said that “KP still holds the forces dear because soldiers are out there defending the province and continue to make sacrifices”.

Despite that, institutions can not be allowed to run parliament, he said. “The parliament is the representative jirga of the province’s people,” he added. In his speech, Afridi expressed his admiration of and loyalty to party founder Imran Khan.

He said that he was grateful to Imran Khan for choosing someone who was a mere worker, belonged to a middle-class family and did not have familial links to politics.

“And neither Bhutto, Zardari nor Sharif are attached to my name,” he said, adding that he belonged to the tribal districts and was proud of his background.

He said that a particular mindset had prevailed about tribal districts and its people over the past 78 years. “This mindset dictates that the people of tribal areas are only there to die, that tribal areas should always be far behind.”

Afridi said that Imran Khan was aware of the deprivation faced by the tribal districts.

“However many times I thank [Imran Khan], it is not enough,” he said. He further said that the tribal districts were ecstatic over the decision to field him as the new chief minister, and were thanking Imran and the party.

Afridi also extended his gratitude to Gandapur, saying that no one in the party had ever hesitated when it came to making sacrifices. “Ali bhai, the grace with which you tendered your resignation ... I laud you for that.”

Calling himself a “champion of politics of protest,” he said that he had nothing to lose. “No cars, no bungalows, no riches and no greed for the seat. The day my leader tells me to vacate the seat, I will kick it to the side.”

He also said that there were reports that Imran Khan, who is currently incarcerated, was being shifted without consultation with his family and the party. “I make this announcement, that if he is shifted without consultation, we will jam the whole country.” Afridi also stated that military operations were not the “solution to terrorism” and called on the federal government to engage in dialogue, and involve the people of the province and the government in devising a solution.

Tariq Butt / NNI News Service