The resignation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur could not be accepted after Governor Faisal Karim Kundi raised objections over discrepancies in his signatures and returned the documents for clarification.

According to the governor, two different resignation letters were submitted by Gandapur, but the signatures on both were inconsistent.

“After due consideration, Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s resignation has been returned with observations,” Kundi posted on X.

He also requested Gandapur to visit the Governor House on October 15 at 3:00 pm to verify his resignation.

In response, Gandapur insisted in a late-night X post that both resignations carried his “authentic signatures.”

“Finally, the resignation submitted on 8th Oct, previously denied by the Governor’s office, is also acknowledged. I hereby reconfirm that both resignations (8th Oct & 11th Oct 2025) bear my authentic signatures,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, the KP Assembly is set to elect a new leader of the house today.

Four candidates have had their nomination papers approved: PTI’s Sohail Afridi, JUI-F’s Maulana Lutfur Rehman, PML-N’s Sardar Shah Jahan Yousaf, and PPP’s Arbab Zark Khan.

Opposition consultations are also underway to field a consensus candidate. Opposition leader Dr. Ibadullah said the opposition would present a joint nominee for the election.

The KP Assembly has 145 members, with 93 in government and 52 in opposition. A total of 73 votes is required to elect the new chief minister.

Gandapur, a senior PTI leader, had initially stepped down on October 8, hours after PTI announced Afridi’s nomination for the post.

“In respectful compliance with the orders of my leader and PTI founding chairman, Imran Khan, it is my honour to tender my resignation from the office of Chief Minister, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he had posted on X at the time.

Panjutha slams Kundi’s objection

Meanwhile, Naim Haider Panjutha, a member of PTI’s legal team, in a statement, said, “The governor attempted an unlawful overreach, and we categorically reject it.”

He added that the governor did not cite any constitutional provision to justify his action.

“The constitution does not give the governor any power to raise an objection to or reject a resignation,” Panjutha said.

He noted that Gandapur had submitted a written resignation and also issued a video statement.

“Signatures are only checked to confirm a person’s consent, and objections usually arise when someone is absent.”

Panjutha expressed confidence that the election would be held as scheduled in the morning and that Afridi would be elected the new chief minister.

Legal caveats

The PTI is in a rush to elect a new chief minister in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa without even waiting for the formal acceptance and notification of Gandapur’s resignation.

Analysts fear such a move could trigger a constitutional crisis and block the election itself.

PTI’s majority, however, wants the parliamentary party in KP to proceed with the election of Afridi as the new CM following Gandapur’s resignation.

Most leaders appear keen to complete the transition swiftly, but several senior lawyers believe that such haste could backfire legally.

In their view, the office of the chief minister becomes vacant only when the resignation is accepted by the governor.

Without such acceptance and in the absence of an official notification, the post cannot legally be declared vacant, and, therefore, the election of a new chief minister would lead to legal battles.

“The cabinet stands dissolved only after the chief minister’s resignation is accepted. Until then, Gandapur remains the constitutional holder of the office,” a senior legal expert said.

It was discussed even within the PTI that in the past, resignations of PTI parliamentarians were not readily accepted forcing the party to seek judicial intervention.

They warned that ignoring codal formalities this time would not only invite legal challenges but might also delay or completely block Afridi’s election as CM.

“It seems someone within the PTI is playing a game to block the election of the new chief minister,” remarked a senior PTI leader, hinting at possible internal manoeuvring.

Party sources confirmed that the PTI intends to hold the election “as soon as possible,” even though the Governor’s House has not yet accepted Gandapur’s resignation.

Legal experts maintain that proceeding without this crucial step would render the entire process legally flawed. “Any election held in such circumstances will be invalid in the eyes of the law,” it is even apprehended within the party.

With divisions deepening inside the PTI and the legal ambiguity widening, the hasty move to replace Gandapur risks pushing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa into another phase of political and constitutional uncertainty.