The recent election of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s new Chief Minister, Sohail Afridi, has been plunged into a legal and constitutional quagmire, as the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) formally contested the process in the Peshawar High Court (PHC), branding it ‘illegal and unconstitutional.’
The petition was submitted by JUI-F Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Maulana Lutfur Rehman, who had previously been a contender for the chief minister’s position. The legal challenge hinges on the controversial circumstances surrounding the resignation of the former chief minister, Ali Amin Gandapur, which was not accepted by Governor Faisal Karim Kundi.
In his plea, Rehman urged the high court to nullify the entire electoral process that resulted in Afridi’s appointment. The court proceeding was, however, postponed until Wednesday following the absence of the petitioner’s legal counsel.
This judicial dispute follows the election just a day prior, where Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA Sohail Afridi secured the leadership role with 90 votes in the provincial assembly. The session was boycotted by major opposition parties, including the JUI-F, PML-N, and PPP, leading to their candidates receiving zero votes.
The controversy stems from Gandapur’s departure on October 8, a move directed by PTI founder Imran Khan. The transition hit a snag when Governor Kundi rejected the resignation, citing doubts over the genuineness of the signature, thereby casting a shadow over the legitimacy of the subsequent power shift.
Afridi, a relative newcomer who started his political career in 2015 and became an MPA in the 2024 general elections, now faces significant political headwinds. His administration is already under scrutiny from the federal government, which has leveled accusations of PTI holding sympathies for extremist groups-a charge the party has consistently and firmly denied.