PTI’s Ali Amin Gandapur said on Wednesday that he will resign from his role as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister shortly after the party’s general secretary, Salman Akram Raja, confirmed that the incumbent chief executive would be replaced by Sohail Afridi on the directives of party founder Imran Khan.
“The role of the chief minister was Imran Khan sahib’s amaanat (entrustment) and as per his order, I am returning his amaanat and submitting my resignation,” a post[1] on Gandapur’s official Facebook account quoted him as saying.
PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram also shared the same statement on X, attributed to Gandapur.
The PTI also confirmed the development on its official X account: “Ali Amin Gandapur has resigned as per Imran Khan’s directive.”
A short while before Gandapur’s statement, PTI secretary seneral Raja said “this is correct” when asked by a reporter in Rawalpindi if MPA Afridi was decided as the next chief minister.
Addressing a media briefing later, Raja stated that the decision was made by Imran, who he said told him about the “background of this in detail and also ordered me to put this before you”.
The PTI leader said there will not be a vote of no-confidence against Gandapur as Imran had ordered him to resign. He pointed out that the PTI had a “clear majority” in the KP assembly through which Afridi would be elected as the next chief minister.
Asked about the possibility of Gandapur refusing to resign, Raja said, “Ali Amin sahib is loyal to the party. Imran Khan sahib has expressed good sentiments for him. There is no reason that Ali Amin sahib will not follow Khan sahib’s order.”
Raja also quoted Imran as raising concerns over the spike in terrorism in PTI-ruled KP.
He said: “There is worst terrorism situation in KP. There have been record incidents this year […] the lives lost and martyrdoms so far, there is no example found of this.
“Khan sahib is very sad, the incident that happened in Orakzai[2], Khan sahib said there is no choice for him now, but to do the change [in KP CM],” Raja added.
He further quoted Imran as highlighting that for over two years he had the stance that the federal government’s policies were “very wrong” and the KP government “should disassociate itself from it”.
Raja stressed that Imran “repeatedly said there are three strakeholders and until they were involved, there would not be peace in KP and Pakistan”, specifying the parties as the residents of tribal areas, the Afghan government and the “Afghan people”.
“The way we humiliated Afghan refugees and cast them out[3] from pakistan, we have sown such a hate of which there was no need, after hosting them for 40 years, […] and is unforgivable in eyes of Imran Khan,” the PTI leader said.
He criticised the federal government for not “maintaining contact” with the Afghan interim set-up.
Less than an hour before Raja’s remarks, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan said he had not made “any statement to the media” about the KP CM.
“This [is] to clarify that I have not made any statement to the media about Ali Amin Gandapur. I have not spoken to any media outlet that ‘news about change of CM KP is fake or is a conspiracy against the party’,” Gohar said on X.
The PTI chairman posted the statement on X after various media outlets reported[4] that CM Gandapur was to be removed from his role.
‘Not a result of rift with Aleema’
However, Raja refuted that the decision was a result of the recent dispute[5] between Gandapur and Imran’s sister Aleema Khan.
“Imran Khan sahib also expressed good intentions for Ali Amin sahib. He thinks it will also be good for Ali Amin sahib to leave the office and become part of politics that is politics of people of KP,” he said.
Today’s development comes about a week after the PTI found itself embroiled in another controversy after Aleema and CM Gandapur exchanged grave allegations[6], with the latter accusing Imran’s sister of provoking rifts in the party.
The argument started with Aleema claiming that Gandapur had told her imprisoned brother that she was trying to hijack the PTI with the help of the Military Intelligence (MI) and the “establishment”. She made these remarks only a day after the KP CM met the ex-premier in jail for more than two hours and left the premises without speaking to the media persons.
In a video statement in response to Aleema’s allegations, Gandapur claimed[7] that campaigns were being carried out to declare her the PTI chairperson. The chief minister acknowledged telling Imran that the party was being harmed by these campaigns and agendas.
The claims made by Aleema — who came to the limelight after her brother was jailed in August 2023 and regularly meets him at Adiala jail — and Gandapur strengthened speculations about a severe rift between the PTI and Imran’s family members.
In June, the midnight passage[8] of the KP fiscal budget also exposed deep divisions within the PTI.
CM Gandapur initially said[9] his government would follow Imran’s directives on the budget and meet with him to secure the approval. However, days later on June 24, the provincial assembly bulldozed cut motions on demands for grants and greenlit the budget without the KP CM being able to meet the PTI founder.
The passage was met with surprise from key PTI leaders, including Raja and ex-KP finance minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra, who said the approval could have been extended till June 27 at least.
Gandapur justified the approval, saying that any delay could have paved the way for the imposition of governor’s rule in the province.
This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.
References
- ^ post (www.facebook.com)
- ^ Orakzai (www.dawn.com)
- ^ cast them out (www.dawn.com)
- ^ reported (arynews.tv)
- ^ recent dispute (www.dawn.com)
- ^ exchanged grave allegations (www.dawn.com)
- ^ claimed (www.dawn.com)
- ^ midnight passage (www.dawn.com)
- ^ initially said (www.dawn.com)