High-level consultations are underway within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership corridors to convene an urgent session of the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) for the election of a new chief minister (CM) following the resignation of Ali Amin Gandapur. According to sources, although the KP Assembly session had earlier been postponed until October 20, the current political situation suggests that the Speaker of the KP Assembly may summon the session earlier, possibly within the next 24 hours.

If the Assembly session is called tomorrow, sources added, the election for the new chief minister is expected to take place on October 11, the sources said. Insiders revealed that, according to internal discussions in PTI’s provincial governmental corridors, nomination papers for the leader of the house could be filed before 3:00 pm on the day prior to the vote. This development follows PTI Founder Imran Khan’s decision to remove Ali Amin Gandapur as the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and nominate MPA Sohail Afridi as his successor.

PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja confirmed Gandapur’s removal while speaking to journalists outside Adiala Jail, saying that the decision had been taken by the PTI founder himself. Bushra Bibi’s focal person, Rai Salman, had first revealed the news yesterday morning. Shortly after news of his removal broke, Ali Amin Gandapur shared his resignation letter on social media, confirming that he had stepped down “in respectful compliance” with the directions of his leader, Imran Khan.

In his letter, Gandapur stated that when he assumed office, KP was facing both financial instability and a surge in militancy, but with his cabinet’s support and the guidance of Imran Khan, his administration had restored fiscal stability and confronted terrorism with determination. He thanked his cabinet colleagues, opposition members, and provincial bureaucrats for their cooperation, adding that while he could not claim perfection, he had served “with absolute sincerity to the people of KP.”

Commenting on this situation, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan clarified that, under Article 130(8) of the Constitution, a chief minister’s resignation must be submitted to the provincial governor, and it was not within his authority to reject it. Barrister Gohar added that all decisions in PTI were made with Imran Khan’s approval and that the party would continue to operate within constitutional parameters and in line with Khan’s directives.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)