ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court has disposed of a petition challenging Sohail Afridi’s appointment as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, declaring it ineffective in light of the subsequent political and constitutional developments in the province.

The petition, filed by Sher Afzal Marwat, challenged Afridi’s appointment to the provincial chief executive’s office. However, the court concluded that the matter no longer required further proceedings following the imposition of governor’s rule and the declaration of an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

During the hearing, Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan observed that the court could not proceed with the petition under the prevailing circumstances, as Sohail Afridi was no longer serving as chief minister.

Justice Baqar Najafi, who was also part of the proceedings, pointed out that governor’s rule and the imposition of an emergency were two separate legal matters.

During the hearing, Marwat informed the court that he also intended to challenge the decisions to impose governor’s rule and an emergency in the province. His statement indicated that he planned to pursue separate legal proceedings against the measures.

Responding to Marwat, Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan said he could file a fresh petition if the emergency ended and the chief minister was restored to office.

Following these observations, the Federal Constitutional Court disposed of the petition as ineffective, bringing the proceedings against Afridi’s appointment to an end without further consideration of the original challenge.

The court’s decision came amid significant constitutional and administrative changes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, the judges’ remarks made clear that any future challenge to the imposition of governor’s rule or emergency measures would require separate legal proceedings.