[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text dp_text_size=”size-4″]In the recently concluded voting in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly, Ali Amin Gandapur, a leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) who contested the recent polls as an independent candidate from the province, emerged as the new Chief Minister on Friday.
The polling to elect the KP Chief Minister commenced earlier in the day, featuring a competition between PTI’s Gandapur and Dr Ibadullah Khan, the candidate from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), for the top provincial position.
Read more: Imran Khan Selects Ali Amin Gandapur For KP CM
PTI founder Imran Khan had nominated Gandapur as the PTI candidate for the leader of the house in KP, making his victory highly likely given the party’s numerical strength.
Gandapur garnered the support of members from the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), while Dr Ibadullah had the backing of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians (PTI-P).
Having declined to join the SIC, the party that PTI-backed independent winners joined to claim their seats, Gandapur chose to contest the top provincial post independently.
Previously serving as the federal minister for Kashmir affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan during the PTI government at the Centre from October 2018 to April 2022, Gandapur was also a member of the KP Assembly from 2013 to 2018, where he held the position of provincial minister for revenue.
The CM-designate graduated with honors from Gomal University in Dera Ismail Khan.
On the other hand, his opponent, Ibadullah Khan, served as a member of the National Assembly from August 2018 to August 2023, chairing the Standing Committee of Communications in the NA from April 2019 to August 2023.
The inaugural session of the KP Assembly witnessed the oath-taking of the newly-elected lawmakers on Wednesday. The day following the oath-taking, the provincial legislature elected PTI-backed Babar Saleem Swati as the speaker and Suriya Bibi as the deputy speaker. Swati secured 89 votes, while Suriya received 87 ballots to secure the coveted positions.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
