PTI names Sohail Afridi for KP CM; Gandapur resigns on Imran’s directive
According to a report by Dawn… PTI’s Ali Amin Gandapur said on Wednesday that he resigned from his role as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister while the party’s general secretary, Salman Akram Raja, confirmed that party founder Imran Khan directed Sohail Afridi to assume the role of provincial chief executive.
In a post on X later today after the day’s developments, Gandapur said: “In respectful compliance of the orders of my leader … Imran Khan, it is my honour to tender my resignation.”
He also attached a copy of his resignation sent to KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi.
“When I took over as chief minister, the province was faced with a dual challenge of financial ruin and menace of terrorism. Over the last one and a half year, with the support of my cabinet, our party members and workers, my team of bureaucracy and above all, guidance of Imran Khan, we steered the province to financial stability and countered the menace of militancy with resolute courage and unwavering decision-making. We initiated mega projects of nation-building in a province that was militarily categorised as a warzone,” the letter said.
Gandapur thanked his cabinet colleagues, assembly members of both the PTI and the opposition and all officers of the KP bureaucracy who he said helped him face “extraordinary challenges of governance” in the province.
“I may not be able to claim with certainty that I did well on all those challenges but one thing that I can say with utmost certainty is that I served with absolute sincerity to the people of KP and always acted in the best interest of Pakistan.”
An earlier post on Gandapur’s official Facebook account, later deleted, quoted him as saying: “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.”
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 General Raja said “this is correct” when asked by a reporter in Rawalpindi if MPA Afridi had been 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 be no 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 is loyal to the party. Imran Khan has expressed good sentiments for him. There is no reason that Ali Amin 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 the 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, Khan sahib said there is no choice for him now, but to make the change [in KP CM].”
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 stakeholders 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 from Pakistan, we have sown such a hate of which there was no need, after hosting them for 40 years, […] and is unforgivable in the eyes of Imran Khan,” the PTI leader said.
He also criticised the federal government for not “maintaining contact” with the Afghan interim set-up.
Raja said Imran was “sad and angry’’ that his vision was not acted on and the KP government could not “distance itself from the policies of the federal government and agencies the way it was necessary’’.
Criticising the cycle of violence involving military action and reprisals, he said there was only one way to end the menace of terrorism and that was to “sit and look at the issue in its wider context’’.
Raja said Imran had the expectation that the new KP setup under Afridi would herald ‘‘a new beginning and there will be wise talk of mutual understanding’’. He added that jirgas and tribes would be asked for help, and a solution would be provided to the province’s issues.
“Khan has affirmed the intent of adopting better policies from now on at the federal government level and the provincial government can provide guidance on this matter. It is the expectation of Imran Khan that Sohail Afridi will guide and advise the federal government and make it understand how to establish peace in the region and act on Imran Khan’s vision.”
“There was a perception created that our provincial government was a helper of the federal government’s misplaced policies, so the expectation from Sohail Afridi is he will distance himself and clearly say we don’t support the federal government’s policies,’’ Raja added.
‘Not a result of rift with Aleema’
However, Raja refuted speculation that the decision was a result of the recent dispute between Gandapur and Imran’s sister Aleema Khan.
“Imran Khan also expressed good intentions for Ali Amin. He thinks it will also be good for Ali Amin to leave the office and become part of politics that is politics of the people of KP,” he said.
Today’s development comes about a week after the PTI found itself embroiled in another controversy after Aleema and Gandapur exchanged grave allegations, 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 Gandapur 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 that campaigns were being carried out to declare her the PTI chairperson. He 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 of the KP fiscal budget also exposed deep divisions within the PTI.
Gandapur initially said 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 Gandapur 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.
Gohar says Imran’s orders to be acted on
Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar said, while talking to the media in Islamabad, that once Imran’s instructions were delivered, no other party body could contradict them but had to act on them.
“Khan’s instructions will be acted on. Ali Amin Gandapur will depart for Peshawar in half an hour and send his resignation via summary to the governor tomorrow. Everyone will support the PTI government that will be formed as per Khan’s instructions.’’
He said he wanted to make it “clear’’ that there was ‘‘no forward bloc’’ in the party. Gohar said the party would maintain its two-third majority in KP with 91 MPAs.
Gohar added that Gandapur had clearly said that he was the chief minister only as long as Imran’s trust was reposed in him. He also praised him for his performance in the top provincial office, saying he had worked day and night for the party, government and people.
Additional reporting by Umar Bacha. complete report is on below link. Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/1947462/pti-names-sohail-afridi-for-kp-cm-gandapur-resigns-on-imrans-directive