M. Irshad Ullah
PESHAWAR, Oct 12, 2025: Four candidates have officially entered the race for the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after submitting and receiving approval for their nomination papers.
Sohail Khan Afridi of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Maulana Lutfur Rehman of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Arbab Zark of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and Sardar Shahjahan of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will compete for the province’s top post.
The post became vacant when Ali Amin Gandapur resigned from the chief ministership. Gandapur, a senior PTI leader, stepped down citing political reasons, prompting the assembly to initiate the process of electing a new leader.
Speaker Babar Saleem Swati chaired a consultative meeting with assembly members, including PTI KP President Junaid Akbar Khan, chief ministerial candidate Sohail Afridi, and Leader of the Opposition Dr. Ibadullah. They discussed the electoral process, upcoming assembly session, and coordination with lawmakers.
The speaker emphasized that the assembly represents democratic continuity and pledged to conduct the election in accordance with constitutional norms.
The KP Assembly will hold the chief minister election on Monday, October 13, with all preparations now complete.