The Peshawar High Court (PHC) instructed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Additional Advocate General to verify Governor Faisal Karim Kundi’s availability for administering the oath to PTI’s newly elected Chief Minister, Sohail Afridi.
The order came in a petition by assembly members, including Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, under Article 255 of the Constitution. They sought an immediate swearing-in or alternative authority nomination if the governor is unavailable. The court requested an update by 1 p.m. on October 14.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) MPA Lutfur Rehman filed a petition contesting Afridi’s election as “illegal and unconstitutional.” Rehman, who boycotted the October 13 vote, cited former CM Ali Amin Gandapur’s resignation. This was not accepted by Kundi due to signature discrepancies. He urged the court to void the process.
Read: PTI’s Sohail Afridi Elected Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s New Chief Minister
Afridi won with 90 votes in the 145-member assembly. He required 73 for a majority. Opposition parties, including JUI-F, PML-N, and PPP, boycotted the event, citing Gandapur’s resignation status. PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja criticised Kundi’s delay, noting the Constitution allows the Chief Justice to nominate an oath-administrator in the governor’s absence.
Gandapur resigned on October 8 at Imran Khan’s directive, nominating Afridi. Kundi summoned Gandapur for October 15 to verify signatures, but the assembly proceeded
The PHC’s directive could resolve the oath impasse, stabilising KP governance. JUI-F’s challenge risks legal delays, testing PTI’s hold.
