PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has reserved its verdict on a petition seeking the oath-taking of newly elected Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.
The court also fixed for hearing another petition challenging Sohail Afridi’s election by the provincial assembly.
The PHC heard the plea seeking Sohail Afridi’s oath-taking, where PTI’s counsel Salman Akram Raja and KP Governor’s counsel Barrister Amir Javed concluded their arguments, after which the court reserved its decision.
The PTI had earlier submitted an application to the PHC chief justice requesting the administration of oath to the newly elected chief minister.
The PHC chief justice also heard the plea earlier and directed the Additional Attorney General to seek comments from the KP governor and present them before the court.
Former Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur resigned from his position last week on the directives of party chairman Imran Khan. However, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has not yet accepted his resignation.
Earlier, the KP Assembly elected Sohail Afridi as the new chief minister, a move the opposition declared illegal. The opposition boycotted the proceedings and announced plans to challenge the election in court.
Separately, a petition filed by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) against the election of the new chief minister has also been fixed for hearing.
The bench comprising Justice Arshad Ali and Justice Waqar Ahmad will hear the case.
The petition, submitted by JUI-F lawmaker Lutfur Rehman, has made the KP chief minister, the provincial government, the governor, the provincial assembly and others as respondents.
The petitioner has contended that since Ali Amin Gandapur’s resignation has not yet been accepted, holding an election for another chief minister is unconstitutional.
Earlier, Ali Amin Gandapur formally resigned as the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, however, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi refused to accept his resignation, raising questions over the legality of the new CM’s election.
Earlier, Governor Kundi had returned Gandapur’s resignation, claiming discrepancies in the signatures.
He later posted a letter on X addressed to Gandapur, rejecting both resignations and instructing him to appear at the Governor House on October 15 for verification.
“The signatures on the purported resignations submitted on October 8 and 11 do not match,” the governor wrote, adding that he was out of town and would return by October 15 to verify the resignations in person.
Responding to the governor’s post, Ali Amin Gandapur wrote on X: “The governor has finally received both my resignations. I confirm that both bear my signatures.”
Speaking in the provincial assembly, Gandapur said democracy in Pakistan had been turned into a “mockery.” He reiterated that he had resigned and would now stand firmly with his party on all matters.