The election of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) chief minister plunged into a controversy late on Sunday night after Governor Faisal Kundi returned the resignation of Ali Amin Gandapur and summoned him to the Governor's House on Wednesday for verification of the document.
The K-P Assembly is set to elect a new chief minister today (Monday) with four candidates - one from the ruling party and three from the opposition - in the running for the province's top office.
PTI's Sohail Afridi is contesting as the government's nominee, while the opposition has fielded Maulana Lutfur Rehman of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), Sardar Shahjehan Yousaf of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Arbab Zark Khan of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
All four candidates submitted their nomination papers on Sunday, completing the formal phase ahead of today's assembly vote scheduled for 10 am.
Afridi filed two sets of nomination papers with the assembly secretary, accompanied by Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, Deputy Speaker Suraiya Bibi and other members of the treasury benches.
Meanwhile, the opposition trio submitted their papers jointly, flanked by former chief minister Akram Khan Durrani and other opposition lawmakers.
The deadline for filing nominations was set for 3pm, after which Speaker
Swati scrutinised and approved all papers as valid.
According to opposition sources, JUI-F's Maulana Lutfur Rehman is being considered the likely consensus candidate, though PML-N's Sardar Shahjehan Yousaf is also under discussion. The opposition is expected to finalise a single joint nominee during a meeting ahead of the assembly session this morning.
However, the Awami National Party (ANP) did not submit any nomination papers.
ANP spokesperson Engineer Ihsanullah said that his party hinted that his party will not participate in tomorrow's assembly session for the CM's election. He added that ANP will not be part of any horse-trading, nor does the party support PTI's nominated candidate Sohail Afridi.
Speaking to the media after filing his papers, Afridi said the election for the chief minister's office would be held "in accordance with the Constitution and the law".
He pledged to announce his policy statement in the assembly after securing victory.
"Our policy is the policy of the founding chairman [Imran Khan]," Afridi said, adding, "We face FIRs, court cases and even accusations of being outlawed, but the ones who had links with Osama bin Laden are elsewhere. Pakistanis should not lose hope we will continue to fight."
He added that "no one from outside should interfere" in the election, insisting that the process would be conducted fairly and constitutionally.
Meanwhile, the election of a new chief minister sparked controversy, with the opposition declaring the process "illegal" in the absence of a formal opinion or notification from the Governor's House on Gandapur's resignation.
Opposition lawmakers argued that no new chief minister could be elected until the sitting chief minister and his cabinet were officially denotified.
Earlier on Saturday, Governor Faisal Karim Kundi had confirmed that Gandapur's handwritten resignation had been received, but said his legal team would review it and provide a formal opinion by Monday.
According to the opposition, the delay renders today's election "premature and unconstitutional".
However, the Advocate General of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa rejected the opposition's claims, asserting that "the election is being conducted strictly in accordance with the Constitution".
Speaker Babar Saleem Swati also backed the process, stating that the day's election procedure "fully adheres to constitutional provisions."
Despite the legal wrangling, the provincial assembly is proceeding today with the vote to elect Gandapur's successor.
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