No one will be allowed to impose decisions made behind closed doors: K-P CM

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has said that no one will be allowed to impose decisions, made behind closed doors, on the people of the province.

“In a statement posted on X on Sunday, Afridi said, “No one will be allowed to impose decisions taken in closed meetings on the people.”

He further said that a jirga (tribal assembly) has been convened in Khyber district on October 25, where decisions about people’s lives and future will be made by the people of the province themselves.

He added that the gathering will be a large peace jirga, bringing together tribal elders, community leaders and youth from across the region, irrespective of political affiliations.

Afridi said the provincial government stands by the ideology of the party’s founding chairman and with the interests of the people of K-P.

Meanwhile, a session of the K-P Assembly has been convened for Monday to discuss security challenges and recent floods. The session, previously adjourned until October 27, was rescheduled at the request of the chief minister. The Assembly Secretariat issued the official notification late on Sunday.

According to the agenda released by the secretariat, lawmakers will debate the province’s security and law and order situation. The agenda also includes discussion on the devastation caused by recent floods and ongoing rehabilitation efforts across affected districts.

Members of the assembly are also expected to present privilege motions, adjournment motions and “calling attention” notices on matters of public importance.

Sohail Afridi sworn in

Last week, Sohail Afridi was elected Chief Minister of K-P after PTI founder Imran Khan directed Ali Amin Gandapur to resign. Afridi secured 90 votes in the provincial assembly during Monday’s session, which was held under tight security in Peshawar.

His election came amid a tense political atmosphere, marked by uncertainty over former chief minister Gandapur’s resignation and objections from opposition parties regarding the electoral process.

Read More: Sohail Afridi approaches CJP

The K-P Assembly has 145 members, with 73 votes required for a simple majority to elect the CM. PTI’s Afridi comfortably surpassed this threshold, solidifying the party’s control over the province.

K-P CM under fire for skipping key meeting

The federal government and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Friday blasted the newly elected K-P Chief Minister Sohail Afridi for refusing to attend a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accusing him of putting political loyalty above provincial responsibility.

The session, attended by all chief ministers, including those of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, was convened to deliberate on critical national challenges, including Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions, repatriation of Afghan refugees, wheat shortages, black-marketing, flood damage assessment and nationwide policy coordination.

However, Afridi, despite being in Islamabad, declined to participate.