Sohail Afridi | |
|---|---|
| سہیل آفریدی | |
 Sohail Afridi in 2025 | |
| Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | |
| Assumed office 15 October 2025 | |
| Governor | Faisal Karim Kundi |
| Preceded by | Ali Amin Gandapur |
| Special Assistant to theChief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for Communication & Works | |
| In office 13 October 2024 – 8 October 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Shakeel Ahmad (as Minister) |
| Member of theProvincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | |
| Assumed office 29 February 2024 | |
| Constituency | PK-70 Khyber-II |
| Personal details | |
| Born | |
| Political party | PTI (2015-present) |
| Alma mater | University of Peshawar |
Muhammad Sohail Khan Afridi[a] (born 1989) is a Pakistani politician fromKhyber District who is theChief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since 15 October 2025.[1] He has also been serving as a member of theProvincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from constituencyPK-70 Khyber-II since 29 February 2024.[2]
Afridi was born in 1989 in theBara Tehsil, located in theKhyber District ofKhyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. He is the third of six brothers.[3] He received his early education and matriculated from the Muslim Public School inPeshawar, later attending FC Government High School. Afridi earned a bachelor's degree inEconomics from theUniversity of Peshawar. During his student years, he was active in theInsaf Student Federation (ISF), where he advocated for education reforms.[4][5] Before entering politics, he worked in the property business.[3]
He contested the2024 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa election as aPakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate fromPK-70 Khyber-II. He secured 31,669 votes while the runner-up wasBilawal Afridi of thePakistan Muslim League (N) who secured 7,549 votes.[6][7] Following his victory, he was appointed as Special Assistant for Communication and Works (C&W) forKhyber Pakhtunkhwa in theGandapur administration.[4][5]
AfterAli Amin Gandapur resigned on 8 October 2025 asChief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa onImran Khan's orders,Salman Akram Raja confirmed that Afridi had been named as the next chief minister of the province byImran Khan.[8][4]
On 13 October 2025, Afridi was elected as Chief Minister after securing 90 votes in the 145-strongProvincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while three other candidates of the opposition received none.[9]
A briefpolitical crisis arose due toGovernorFaisal Karim Kundi's refusal to accept Gandapur's resignation. The crisis was ended by thePeshawar High Court (PHC), when it ruled that Gandapur's resignation took effect when he tendered it, and was further confirmed through his speech on the floor of the Provincial Assembly. The court also ordered Governor Kundi to administer the oath of office to Afridi on 15 October 2025. The ruling also stated thatBabar Saleem Swati, the Speaker of the Provincial Assembly, may administer the oath in case of Kundi fails to do so.[10]
On 15 October 2025, Afridi was administered the oath of office by Governor Kundi at theGovernor’s House, thus beginning his tenure as the province's Chief Minister.[11]
After swearing in as the Chief Minister, Afridi took positions critical of the federal government at the center. He opposed military operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.[12] Afridi also criticized the federal government for the resurgence of militancy in the province, blaming it on "flawed policies of the federal government" and delays in releasing war-on-terror funds and constitutional dues. Afridi rejected faulty bulletproof vehicles provided by the Centre, calling them old, substandard, and insulting to the KP police, and ordered their return during his first formal cabinet meeting in Peshawar.[13][14][15] Additionally, he sought to meetImran Khan inAdiala Jail for consultation on formation of cabinet. The prison authorities initially rejected the request. In response, Afridi reportedly moved theIslamabad High Court (IHC) just two days after being sworn in.[16][17] Afridi was prevented from meeting Imran Khan despite an IHC order directing jail authorities to allow such meetings twice a week. His convoy was stopped by the police at theDahgal checkpoint near the facility. In response, the chief minister staged a brief sit-in outside the jail.[18][19]
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 2025 – present | Incumbent |
Azad Kashmir |  | |
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Gilgit–Baltistan | ||
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | ||
Punjab | ||
Sindh | ||
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