In the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, which has 145 members, independent candidates supported by PTI hold 91 seats.
JUI-F has 9 seats, PML-N has 9, Pakistan People’s Party has 5, PTI-P has 2, and Awami National Party has 1 seat.
During the session, Speaker Babar Saleem Swati faced challenges maintaining order, with attendees largely ignoring his requests. The session began nearly an hour late.
The speaker directed Gandapur’s supporters to Lobby 1 and Ibadullah’s supporters to Lobby 2. Despite chants in favor of the PTI candidate, Gandapur secured 90 votes, while his rival got 16 votes. Gandapur was declared the 20th chief minister of the province.
Gandapur pledged that the PTI government would resume development in the province. He emphasized reinstating the Sehat Insaf Card for public welfare and prioritizing law and order. Developing backward districts quickly to address their needs was highlighted.
Ensuring lasting peace and making the province attractive for foreign investors were also mentioned. Despite challenges with a federal government opposing PTI, Gandapur expressed determination to negotiate for the province’s rights.
He criticized the caretaker government for ending free medical treatment on the Sehat Insaf Card and closing sanctuaries for the poor without logical reasons. The outgoing caretaker government reported that the federation owed the province Rs3,000 billion as of October 2023, with a significant amount attributed to the federal government’s support for net hydel profit of electricity and a special package for merged districts.