PESHAWAR: Sohail Afridi — the newly nominated chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is a diehard supporter and committed activist of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from Bara tehsil of Khyber district. A young PTI leader, Afridi currently serves as the provincial minister for higher education. He is regarded among the party’s most ideological and grassroot-based workers, having been associated with the PTI since his student years. Sohail completed his early education from Muslim Public School, Saddar, Peshawar, and obtained his matriculation from the same institution.
Belonging to the Shalobar Qambarkhel tribe, he is known within the party as an influential young leader with strong connections and standing. Throughout his political journey, Afridi has been elected to various key positions in the party.
In 2012, he completed his BS (Honors) in Economics from the University of Peshawar and later pursued an MPhil in Economics. However, in 2014, due to his active participation in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s historic 126-day sit-in in Islamabad, he was unable to complete his degree — despite successfully completing his coursework and defending his thesis. Afridi’s political career began in 2015, when he was elected president of the Insaf Students Federation (ISF) on the Peshawar University campus.
Two years later, he rose to become ISF’s Peshawar region president, and subsequently the provincial president of ISF KP. He also headed the Insaf Youth Wing in the province, where he played a key role in reorganising youth activists.
Afridi entered electoral politics for the first time in the 2024 general elections, contesting from PK-70 (Khyber-II). He won the seat by a wide margin, defeating Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidate Bilawal Afridi — a victory seen as a major milestone in his political career.
After his election, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur inducted Afridi into the provincial cabinet, initially appointing him as Special Assistant for Communication and Works (C&W).
Following the recent reshuffle, he was made Minister for Higher Education.
After the May 9, 2023, incidents, when PTI’s provincial leadership went underground, Afridi continued to maintain communication with party workers. He actively led youth-driven protests and campaigns demanding Imran Khan’s release, keeping the movement alive through social media and street mobilization.
Afridi comes from a family of six brothers and is the third among them. Before entering politics, he was engaged in the property business.