On October 8, 2025, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) made a major leadership change in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province: Ali Amin Gandapur resigned as Chief Minister, following directives from party founder Imran Khan, and Sohail Afridi was nominated as his successor. Dawn
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Who Is Sohail Afridi?
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Age and Background: Born on 12 July 1989 in Bara, Khyber District, Afridi holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and is a businessman by profession.
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Political Rise: He was elected for the first time as Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) in the 2024 KP elections, contesting from PK-70 (Khyber-II) as an independent candidate. After his win, he joined PTI. He defeated Bilawal Afridi of PML-N by a wide margin. English TV
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Prior Roles: Before being nominated as CM, Sohail Afridi held roles within PTI’s provincial government including being Special Assistant for Communications & Works and later Minister for Higher Education in KP.
Why the Change? Imran’s Big Decision
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Security Concerns: PTI leadership cited a worsening law and order situation in KP, including terrorist incidents and martyrdoms, which pushed Imran Khan to seek a change in leadership.
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Direction from Party Founder: The decision was made by Imran Khan and relayed through PTI’s General Secretary Salman Akram Raja. Gandapur’s resignation was “at Imran Khan’s directive.”
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Perception of Federal Policies: PTI seems to want a leadership in KP that distances itself from the federal government’s policies, especially those related to security or refugee affairs. Afridi is expected to steer a course more aligned with Imran Khan’s vision.
Are PTI Supporters Happy?
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Many in PTI have welcomed the decision, calling it a fresh start. Supporters praise Afridi’s youth, grassroots roots, and past performance.
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Some analysts believe this move helps PTI to address criticisms of stagnation or underperformance in KP, especially when it comes to security and governance.
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However, with any abrupt leadership change, there are also voices asking whether the change will bring real policy shifts or simply reshuffling of faces. Time will tell if the public expectations are met.
From Where Did He Contest?
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Constituency: He contested from PK-70 (Khyber-II) in the February 2024 KP provincial elections.
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Vote Margin: He secured 31,649 votes, defeating Bilawal Afridi of PML-N who got around 7,401 votes. This large margin demonstrated strong support in his native area.
Search Description
Imran Khan has directed the replacement of Ali Amin Gandapur as KP Chief Minister and nominated Sohail Afridi — a young MPA from Bara, Khyber — to the post. Learn who Afridi is, why PTI made the change, and what it could mean for governance and security in KP.
Keywords
Sohail Afridi, KP CM Sohail Afridi, PTI new Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Imran Khan directive, Gandapur resignation, PK-70 Bara, KP elections 2024, PTI leadership change, law and order KP, younger leadership PTI
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