Khyber Pakhtunkhwa politics has once again taken a dramatic turn after Sher Afzal Khan Marwat approached the Federal Constitutional Court seeking the reinstatement of Ali Amin Gandapur as the province’s chief minister. The petition has sparked fresh debate inside political circles and intensified tensions within the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf camp.
According to the petition, Marwat claimed that Gandapur’s resignation from the chief minister’s office was taken under pressure and therefore carried no constitutional or legal value. He argued that the resignation process violated constitutional principles and requested the court to declare it null and void.
The former PTI leader also challenged the appointment of Sohail Afridi as the new chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In his plea, Marwat requested the court to cancel the official notification related to Afridi’s appointment and restore Gandapur to the position. He further asked the court to invalidate all official actions and decisions made after what he described as unconstitutional developments.
The controversy dates back to October last year when Gandapur stepped down from office following party instructions. PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja had confirmed Afridi’s nomination shortly before Gandapur resigned. Marwat, however, alleged that the move was influenced by a “convicted disqualified individual,” indirectly referring to jailed PTI founder Imran Khan.
Meanwhile, Ali Amin Gandapur distanced himself from the legal proceedings and clarified that he had no connection with the petition filed in court. He stated that he simply followed party instructions and fulfilled his responsibility by resigning from the office.
Reacting strongly to the petition, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan termed the move part of a conspiracy against PTI. He maintained that only the party leadership has the authority to decide who becomes chief minister and emphasized that Afridi’s appointment had the complete backing of the PTI founder.
