Cheers and chants as Sohail Afridi takes K-P helm | The Express Tribune

PESHAWAR:

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s new Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi finally took the reins on Wednesday, stepping into office amid a storm of celebration and emotion at the Governor House, where the party’s imprisoned founder Imran Khan’s presence still loomed large over the proceedings.

Governor Faisal Karim Kundi administered the oath after days of political wrangling and judicial pressure.

Afridi’s elevation to the province’s top slot came after the Peshawar High Court (PHC) stepped in, declaring his election lawful and ordering the governor to fulfil his constitutional duty by 4 pm Wednesday, warning that otherwise the assembly speaker would step in under Article 255(2).

The ceremony, already politically charged, tipped into disarray as crowds of PTI workers flooded the hall long before proceedings began, occupying seats meant for officials and clambering onto the stage.

Footage from the event showed a throng surrounding the governor and the new chief minister, raising slogans for Imran Khan, whose portrait Afridi held aloft as chants of “Imran Khan Zindabad” echoed through the hall.

Despite repeated appeals from organisers to maintain order, the uproar continued throughout the proceedings.

National and provincial legislators, civil and police officials, and senior bureaucrats, including Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, Deputy Speaker Suraiya Bibi, former governor Shah Farman, PTI provincial president Junaid Akbar, party secretary-general Salman Akram Raja, Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah and IGP Zulfiqar Hameed, attended the event alongside senators, MNAs, MPAs and political figures.

Amid the noise, Afridi took the microphone mid-ceremony to urge his supporters to observe discipline and let the proceedings continue. However, his request was drowned out by persistent chants. Even during the national anthem, activists continued to shout slogans in support of the jailed leader, Imran Khan.

Later, PTI leader Asad Qaiser extended “heartfelt congratulations” to the newly elected chief minister.

“I hope that, God willing, he will take effective measures to resolve the province’s issues and for the welfare and prosperity of the people […] And that he will also play a role in securing the release of all innocent prisoners, including Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi, and Shah Mahmood Qureshi,” Qaiser wrote on X.

The chief minister’s focal person for digital media, Yar Muhammad Khan Niazi, said that upon Afridi’s arrival at the CM Secretariat, a fully equipped police contingent formally presented him with a guard of honour.

Afridi’s oath followed a PHC directive compelling the governor to fulfil his constitutional duty.

Following the ruling, a spokesperson for the governor confirmed that Kundi would comply, saying arrangements had been finalised at the Governor House. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had also urged Kundi to “fulfil his constitutional and legal responsibility” and return to Peshawar to administer the oath.

Afridi’s election came amid a dispute over Gandapur’s resignation, which the governor’s office had twice returned, citing “disparate signatures”.

PTI maintained that under Article 130(8), a chief minister’s resignation becomes effective upon submission and does not require gubernatorial approval. The party proceeded with Afridi’s election – boycotted by the opposition – and later approached the PHC seeking orders for the oath-taking ceremony.

Afridi, a former provincial minister for higher education and special assistant on communication and works (C&W), represents PK-70 (Khyber-II). He began his political career with the Insaf Students Federation, later becoming the provincial president of the Insaf Youth Wing. He holds a BS in Economics from the University of Peshawar.