After days of political drama and uncertainty, PTI-backed lawmaker Sohail Khan Afridi has officially taken oath as the new chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, marking the end of a heated standoff between the provincial government and the governor’s office.

The oath was administered following a clear directive from the Peshawar High Court (PHC), which ordered Governor Faisal Karim Kundi to swear in Afridi by 4 p.m. on Wednesday. The much-anticipated ceremony came a day after the court’s decisive intervention in what had become a major constitutional and political deadlock over the delayed swearing-in process.

In its judgment, the PHC bench headed by Chief Justice SM Attique Shah instructed that if the governor failed to comply, KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati would step in to administer the oath. The order brought a temporary halt to the escalating political tension surrounding the Sohail Afridi oath-taking case.

The controversy erupted when Governor Kundi initially refused to accept the resignation of outgoing Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, creating confusion about the province’s leadership. The governor’s lawyer, Advocate Amir Javed, argued that Gandapur would continue managing affairs until the new chief minister assumed office. However, the court disagreed, emphasizing that since the election had already taken place, there was no justification for further delay.

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During the hearing, Advocate Salman Akram Raja, representing members of the KP Assembly, argued that Gandapur’s resignation was already confirmed when he announced it on the assembly floor and even participated in voting for Afridi. “Once Gandapur accepted his resignation himself, the question of his signature no longer remains,” Raja asserted, highlighting the urgency of ensuring a functional provincial government.

Adding to the tension, JUI-F leader Lutfur Rehman, who lost to Afridi in the chief minister’s election, filed a separate petition challenging the entire process. He called the election “illegal and unconstitutional,” claiming that it violated procedural and constitutional norms since the governor had not formally accepted Gandapur’s resignation. The petition seeks to nullify Afridi’s election, prolonging the Sohail Afridi oath-taking case and adding another layer of legal complexity.

Sohail Afridi, who began his political career in 2015 and became an MPA in the 2024 general elections, now faces an uphill battle to stabilize the province amid mounting opposition challenges. Despite the hurdles, PTI leaders have hailed his swearing-in as a victory for constitutional democracy and the rule of law.