A senior federal government source has said that the prospect of suspended Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi returning to office has almost disappeared, even if the emergency and governor’s rule imposed in the province are temporary.
The source told this correspondent that there was no possibility of Afridi returning as chief minister, rejecting the prospect of his resuming office after the emergency arrangement ends.
The assessment comes after the federal government suspended the PTI-led provincial government and placed Afridi, along with some cabinet members, in preventive detention.
The combination of preventive detention and pending legal proceedings has created considerable uncertainty about his political future. The federal government imposed an emergency and governor’s rule on October 11, arguing that the provincial government had failed to combat terrorism effectively.
PTI rejected the move, describing it as politically motivated. According to the source, Afridi’s confrontational political stance, particularly his statements concerning terrorism and state institutions, further damaged his relations with the federal government and the establishment.
The source indicated that his return to the chief minister’s office was no longer considered a viable possibility at the federal level. Several legal challenges have added to the uncertainty surrounding Afridi’s political future, including cases relating to the violence of May 9, 2023, protest demonstrations and his appointment as chief minister.
The Federal Constitutional Court has scheduled a hearing for October 15 on a petition challenging Afridi’s appointment.
The petition, filed by dissident PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat, questions the circumstances surrounding former Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s resignation and Afridi’s subsequent election.
It challenges the legality of the process through which Afridi assumed office. Meanwhile, the Peshawar High Court is hearing petitions filed by Afridi and other PTI leaders seeking details of cases registered against them and protective bail.
On October 10, the court gave their lawyers a final opportunity to present arguments on the petitions. It scheduled the next hearing for October 20 and warned that no further extension would be granted. Afridi has also been named in a case concerning the vandalism and burning of the Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar during the unrest in May 2023.
After reviewing the investigation report, an anti-terrorism court directed the investigating officer to submit a supplementary charge sheet. In a separate matter, the Peshawar High Court dismissed Afridi’s petition challenging Election Commission proceedings over alleged violations of the code of conduct during the Haripur by-election campaign.
Those proceedings could have further political consequences. However, the dismissal of the petition does not constitute a final ruling on the underlying allegations. The federal government’s assumption of provincial control, Afridi’s preventive detention and the pending legal proceedings have together created considerable uncertainty about his political future.
Although constitutional provisions govern the imposition of an emergency and the transfer of provincial powers to the governor, the federal source’s assessment suggests that Afridi’s chances of returning will remain slim even if the current arrangement is not permanent.
