The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday ordered Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi to administer the oath to Chief Minister-elect Sohail Afridi by 4pm tomorrow. The directive, issued by Chief Justice S.M. Attique Shah, stated that if the governor failed to do so, KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati would perform the oath under Article 255(2) of the Constitution.
The court’s verdict came in response to a PTI petition requesting that the assembly speaker or another suitable authority be authorized to administer the oath if the governor delayed. The court affirmed that former CM Ali Amin Gandapur’s resignation took effect on October 8, as declared on the assembly floor, thus vacating the position constitutionally.
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Justice Shah emphasized the governor’s constitutional duty to ensure no disruption in governance, warning that any delay would be deemed obstruction of constitutional order. The court underscored that continuity of governance must be upheld without political maneuvering or administrative vacuum.
Following the decision, Governor Kundi stated he never refused to administer the oath and would reach Peshawar as soon as possible. PTI hailed the ruling as a “victory for democracy and constitutional supremacy.”
