PESHAWAR (Dunya News) – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has confirmed receiving the resignation of Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, but has withheld immediate approval pending legal review.
The resignation, hand-delivered by CM’s aide Brig (r) Musaddiq Abbasi to the Governor House, was submitted at 2:30 PM and dated October 11. It was officially received and acknowledged.
Speaking to media, Governor Kundi stated that the handwritten resignation will undergo legal scrutiny before any formal action. He also noted that legal advisers are currently unavailable over the weekend, and consultations are scheduled for Monday to evaluate constitutional implications and next steps.
In case the resignation is not accepted, PTI has activated an alternate legal and political strategy.
According to party sources, PTI’s legal team briefed the leadership that under Article 130(8) of the Constitution, the CM’s resignation only needs to be submitted to the Governor, and does not require acceptance to be considered valid.
Legal experts, including the Advocate General KP, explained that resignation can be either unilateral (not requiring approval) or bilateral (requiring approval). In Gandapur’s case, both verbal and written forms were submitted, which may suffice under constitutional interpretation backed by court precedents.
To cover all legal grounds, PTI has also prepared to present a resolution in the KP Assembly, bearing Ali Amin Gandapur’s signature, to formally confirm his resignation. This process will validate the resignation even without the Governor’s immediate approval.
Sources further revealed that a high-level PTI committee, including Asad Qaiser, Sohail Afridi, Junaid Akbar, AG, and Musaddiq Abbasi, reviewed the constitutional position and informed party leadership.
Upon the approval of resignation through the assembly route, Sohail Afridi is expected to be nominated and swiftly sworn in as the new Chief Minister – potentially as early as possible.