Peshawar, Oct 29 Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan’s party on Thursday issued a notification retaining Sohail Afridi as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, stating he will continue to hold the position with the support of the party’s founding chairman.
The decision comes after President Asif Ali Zardari imposed emergency and governor’s rule in the province on October 11 and removed Afridi.
According to the notification issued by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) central secretariat, Afridi will continue to perform his duties as chief minister.
It directed all PTI members, office-bearers, parliamentarians and party officials not to hold any meeting, introduce an agenda, initiate discussion about the nomination or replacement of the chief minister or consideration of any alternative candidate.
It further stated that only Khan, the party’s founding chairman, has the authority to nominate an alternative candidate for the post or change the decision.
Khan’s decisions on the matter will be final and binding on all party members, it said.
The development comes after the federal government suspended the PTI-led provincial government under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution earlier this month.
President Zardari approved the move on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif following escalating tensions between the federal and provincial governments over the security situation and counterterrorism policy.
The federal government accused the provincial administration of failing to adequately address militancy, a charge that the PTI rejected.
Under the arrangement, Governor Faisal Karim Kundi assumed the functions of the provincial government, assisted by an 11-member technocratic advisory council.
Afridi and other members of his provincial administration ceased to hold office under the proclamation.
The emergency and governor’s rule followed the breakdown of talks between the federal government and PTI amid a protest march led by Afridi demanding the release of Khan, who has been in jail since 2023 and faces multiple cases.
(PTI News)
