Dawn – Pakistan | 2025-10-08 15:27
According to a report by Dawn… 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 party founder Imran Khan directed Sohail Afridi to assume the role of provincial chief executive.
“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 on Gandapur’s official Facebook account, later deleted, 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 General 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 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 do 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 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 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.
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 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 terroirsm and that was to “sit and look at the issue at 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 federal government level and the provincial government can provide guidance on this matter. It is 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 wrong policies so expectation from Sohail Afridi is he will keep himself far and clearly say we don’t support federal government’s policies,’’ Raja said.
‘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 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 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
Meranwhile, 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 2/3 majority in KP with 91 MPAs.
Gohar said 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. complete report is on below link.
