Gandapur’s ‘missing resignation’ stalls K-P power transition | The Express Tribune

PESHAWAR:

The formation of a new provincial government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has hit a major snag as the resignation of outgoing Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has reportedly gone “missing”, delaying the oath-taking of CM-designate Sohail Afridi.

Confusion surrounds the resignation, with conflicting claims over whether it was submitted or received. Sources in the Governor’s House said that no official resignation had been received, while political circles insisted that Gandapur had already stepped down.

The uncertainty has thrown the transfer of power into disarray and sparked fears of a potential constitutional crisis in the province.

Officials at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat said that Gandapur’s resignation had been delivered to the Governor House on Wednesday night, the same day he was asked to vacate the post.

However, K-P Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, who was in Islamabad, and other officials at the Governor’s Secretariat remained tight-lipped about the issue.

An official on Kundi’s staff said they had yet to receive the resignation letter. “As far as I know, the resignation has not yet reached the Governor’s Office,” the official said, adding that the governor would sign it whenever he received it.

Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, Kundi described reports regarding the receipt of the resignation letter at the Governor House as “fake news.”

While ambiguity surrounds the whereabouts of Gandapur’s resignation letter, the PTI has picked Sohail Afridi, an MPA from the Khyber district, as his potential replacement. However, to assume the CM’s office, he will first have to ensure the backing of the majority in the 145-member K-P Assembly.

Meanwhile, in a lengthy message on X, former prime minister Imran Khan defended his decision to change the chief minister in K-P.

The incarcerated leader framed the move as a constitutional and necessary response to a worsening security situation in the province, defended the selection of Sohail Afridi as the new leader, and set out his long-standing view on counterterrorism strategy.

“In the context of the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the change of the chief minister was inevitable and it is a constitutional process that has occurred in other provinces of this country as well. No one should interfere so that the process can be completed as quickly as possible. If anyone attempts to interfere, there will be strong protests,” he wrote.

He explained that Suhail Afridi was chosen “because of his long-standing association with the ideals of ISF and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf since his student days”. “This decision also reinforces the narrative of involving grassroots workers in the decision-making process instead of relying solely on electables,” he added.

The former premier alleged that “some quarters are trying to link the change of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s chief minister to members of my family, which is completely wrong”.

He elaborated that the decision was entirely political, and no member of his family had any influence over it. “No member of my family has any connection to my political decisions.”

“Ali Amin is one of my old and loyal colleagues, but he has been embroiled in controversies. These disputes arose from a policy of dealing with terrorism that relied on empty firepower without a comprehensive political strategy by Asim Munir. The year 2025 is the worst year in Pakistan’s history with respect to terrorism incidents, and the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa can no longer bear this situation. I hope the new chief minister and his team will adopt a comprehensive policy, in collaboration with public representatives, aimed at eliminating terrorism and establishing lasting peace,” the post read.

He emphasised that for the past two decades, he has articulated a clear strategy to counter terrorism, recalling that the strategy helped bring terrorism largely under control during PTI’s three-and-a-half years in power. “During that period, PTI even held talks with the anti-Pakistan, India-friendly Ashraf Ghani government and resolved issues concerning the tribal people and Afghan refugees through dialogue and understanding.”

He further mentioned that in 2021, the then military leadership proposed a plan to rehabilitate terrorists who had surrendered, but our elected representatives from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the tribal areas rejected that plan. It was not implemented during our tenure. “Yet, contrary to the facts, PTI is now being falsely accused that terrorism in the country arose because terrorists were settled during our time. The nation should be told exactly which terrorists were settled, when, where and how,” he added.

“Sometimes it is said that the Afghan government is responsible for terrorism in Pakistan, and that terrorists based in Afghanistan carry out operations in Pakistan; at other times it is claimed that terrorism is due to Afghan refugees who have lived in Pakistan for decades. Both assertions are wrong: despite expelling millions of Afghan refugees in a disgraceful and humiliating manner, terrorism has continued to rise. These contradictory statements reveal the public-harmful confusion of Asim Munir’s imposed system.”

He stressed that his stance on countering terrorism has always been unequivocal. “History also shows that if one relies solely on force rather than on organised political insight and strategy, failure is inevitable. Collateral damage from military operations drives people to take up arms in revenge, and the cycle only becomes worse.”

“In the name of political revenge, baseless cases have been lodged against me repeatedly. Cases large and small – including Toshakhana, Al-Qadir, cypher, Iddat and again Toshakhana – have been filed against me and my wife Bushra Bibi simply to make me bow and abandon my commitment to true freedom. I want to tell my nation again: no matter what they do, I will not bow down before them, nor will I allow my nation to bow down.”

According to constitutional experts, until the resignation is formally accepted, Ali Amin Gandapur remains the lawful chief minister. However, Gandapur, during a recent parliamentary meeting of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, made it clear that he would not return to office or assume any position again.

Former governor Barrister Masood Kausar explained that the constitution clearly defines the procedure for a chief minister’s resignation. “If the governor says he hasn’t received the resignation while the chief minister insists he has sent it, the matter enters a deadlock. Until formal approval is issued, Gandapur technically remains in office,” he said.

Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi called on Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman at his residence in Islamabad on Friday as part of his ongoing political consultations amid the evolving political situation in the province.

According to party sources, senior JUI-F leaders Maulana Lutfur Rehman and Maulana Asjad Mahmood were also present during the meeting.

The discussion centred on dramatic changes in the political landscape of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with both sides exchanging views on the province’s current developments and political alignments.

Meanwhile, opposition parties are also divided over the transition of power. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) have yet to agree on a joint candidate for the chief minister’s slot, while the Awami National Party (ANP) has declined to support any opposition-led nominee.

Meanwhile, the K-P government has begun considering multiple options to resolve the issue surrounding the “missing” resignation of CM Ali Amin Gandapur, including the possibility of bringing a no-confidence motion against him and summoning the provincial assembly.

According to sources, a high-level meeting of the ruling party was held late on Friday night at the Chief Minister’s House to deliberate on the crisis.

The session was attended by Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, CM-designate Sohail Afridi, former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, provincial president Junaid Akbar and several other senior leaders.

Insiders revealed that the provincial government discussed several strategic options in view of the unresolved status of Gandapur’s resignation. Among the proposals under consideration is a no-confidence motion against the outgoing chief minister if the resignation issue remains unaddressed.

Sources said that once a final decision is made regarding the motion, signatures will be collected from members in support of the resolution. The leadership is also reportedly considering the option of resubmitting Gandapur’s resignation to the governor to remove any ambiguity.