PESHAWAR, Mar 1 (APP):Ali Amin Gandapur, an independent member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, backed by Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) on Friday elected the 19th Chief Minister of the province by a two-thirds majority.
Ali Amin Gandapur bagged 90 votes, while opposition nominee Ibadullah secured 16 votes under an open division of MPAs. JUIF boycotted the election process.
The meeting of the provincial assembly, which started one-and-a-half hours late on Friday, was held under the chairmanship of the newly elected Speaker Babar Saleem Swati.
The speaker told the House that four MPs Ali Amin Gandapur, Hisham Inamullah, Zarik Khan and Ibadullah had submitted their nomination papers for the election of the Chief Minister yesterday, which were found to be valid, but the incumbents, Zarik Khan and Hisham Inamullah, later withdrew their nomination papers.
The speaker announced the results and declared that a total 108 members participated in the election of the Chief Minister. Ibadullah had the support of five members of the PPP, two of the PTIP and nine members of the PMLN, securing a total of sixteen votes.
The number of members supported by PTI was 92, but Ali Amin Gandapur got 90 votes.
In an unanticipated move, ANP member of assembly Arbab Usman participated in the voting process by refusing to accept the party president’s decision and went to the lobby with the opposition and voted for Ibadullah.
The entry of unrelated persons was prohibited, while the sitting arrangements for media representatives were also arranged in the gallery above the hall.
