Pakistani court ends hearing on petition concerning Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief — Dawn

Pakistan’s Federal Constitutional Court in Islamabad has ended consideration of a petition concerning the appointment of Sohail Afridi as chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The court found that the petition had become irrelevant after governor’s rule and a state of emergency were imposed in the province.

Court decision

The decision was made on October 15 by a two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan. He stated that under the current circumstances, Afridi does not hold the position of the province’s chief minister.

Governor’s rule and a state of emergency were imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday. The federal government explained the move by claiming that the provincial authorities had deliberately withdrawn from combating terrorism. Afridi and several members of his cabinet are under preventive detention, PTI reported after the central authorities’ decision.

As Dawn reports, the petition was filed by Sher Afzal Khan Marwat, a PTI leader who split from the party. He challenged the resignation of the province’s previous chief minister, Ali Amin Gandapur, in October 2025 and Afridi’s subsequent appointment.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

Plaintiff’s position

Marwat asked for the hearing to be postponed, as he also planned to challenge the imposition of governor’s rule and the state of emergency. However, Justice Ali Bakar Najafi noted that the issue of Afridi’s status was no longer the subject of these proceedings, while governor’s rule and the state of emergency were separate matters.

The plaintiff stated that if these measures were overturned, Afridi would be reinstated. The chief justice replied that Marwat could then file a separate motion to resume consideration of the petition.

In the petition, Marwat claimed that Gandapur’s resignation statements had been submitted under the unconstitutional influence of jailed PTI founder Imran Khan, whom the plaintiff described as convicted and constitutionally disqualified. After the hearing, Marwat also stated that he would challenge the imposition of the state of emergency and governor’s rule.