PESHAWAR:
A perfect storm of political, administrative and security crises in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa finally cost Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur his job, as the jailed founder of the embattled ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) decided on Wednesday to replace him with a young tribal legislator, Muhammad Sohail Afridi.
Political analysts say Gandapur’s ouster was long overdue as he has been at the center of a political storm sparked by accusations of betraying the party, sowing divisions within its ranks and even defying Imran Khan’s directives.
Earlier, Gandapur said he had resigned as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, while party general secretary Salman Akram Raja confirmed that party founder Imran Khan had directed Sohail Afridi to take over as provincial chief executive.
In a post on
He also attached a copy of his resignation sent to KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi.
“When I took over as Prime Minister, the province was facing the twin challenges of financial ruin and the threat of terrorism. Over the past year and a half, with the support of my cabinet, our party members and workers, my bureaucracy team and, above all, the guidance of Imran Khan, we led the province towards financial stability and countered the menace of militancy with resolute courage and unwavering decision making. “We initiated mega nation-building projects in a province that was militarily categorized as a war zone,” the letter said.
Gandapur thanked his cabinet colleagues, assembly members from both the PTI and the opposition and all officials in the KP bureaucracy, who he said helped him address “extraordinary governance challenges” in the province.
“I may not be able to say with certainty that I did well in all those challenges, but one thing I can say with utmost certainty is that I served the people of KP with absolute sincerity and always acted in the best interests of Pakistan.”
The announcement followed a whirlwind of rumors and denials. Reports had begun to circulate on social media that Gandapur had been asked to resign, while his spokesperson initially dismissed them as unfounded.
However, hours later, PTI general secretary Salman Akram Raja, emerging from a meeting with the party founder in Adiala jail, confirmed what many had already begun to suspect.
“It is true that Ali Amin Gandapur has been removed from the post of prime minister,” Raja told reporters. “Sohail Afridi has been appointed as the new Prime Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This is the founder’s decision, and he has explained the background behind it.”
Raja said Imran’s move was prompted by an “alarming security situation” in the province.
“There is a strong wave of terrorism in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Just today our soldiers and officers were martyred in Orakzai,” he said. “The founder was deeply distressed by the incident and felt he had no choice but to bring about change.”
According to Raja, founding president of the PTI, the KP government had failed to move away from what he called the “flawed conflict policy” of the federal government.
“The founder believes that this policy of war and conflict is wrong. We have repeatedly said that this war has three stakeholders: the people of FATA, the Afghan government and the Afghan people. Without trusting them, peace cannot be achieved.”
He said Imran was particularly disturbed by the recent mass deportation of Afghan refugees.
“The way Afghans were expelled from Pakistan after forty years of hospitality has sown seeds of hatred; it is an unforgivable act,” Raja quoted.
The PTI founder felt that his “vision for the province” had not been implemented, he added.
“The KP government could not separate itself from the federal government and agency policies. Our people are being martyred and naturally there will be a reaction from our forces.”
‘New beginning’
Furthermore, Raja described the founder’s decision to replace Gandapur with Sohail Afridi as “well thought out” and a “new beginning”.
“He believes that under Afridi’s leadership, both the federal and provincial levels can adopt a better policy. Sohail Afridi will guide the federal government on how to achieve peace while respecting Pakhtun traditions,” he said.
Furthermore, Raja dismissed suggestions that Afridi was a Taliban sympathizer. “This is an unfounded statement. Terrorism can only be resolved through dialogue; you cannot wish Afghanistan away, it is our neighbor.”
He added that there will be no no-confidence motion against KP as the PTI still enjoys a “clear majority”.
“The founder has ordered Gandapur to resign. He believes it is best for Gandapur to focus on public policy now.”
“Those who carry out terrorism are those who cross 2,500 kilometers, not Afghans living inside Pakistan. The federal government must talk to Kabul. Until the Afghan government commits, terrorism will not stop.”
He said the imprisoned party leader “feels proud of the sacrifices of our brave soldiers and citizens” and assured that the transition will be smooth.
“We are starting a new chapter in KP, free of ambiguities,” Raja said. “The founder always says that the player’s choice depends on the situation and has made his decision accordingly.”
However, Raja dismissed speculation that the decision was due to the recent dispute between Gandapur and Imran Khan’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 office and become part of politics, that is, the politics of the people of KP,” he said.
‘Return trust’
Later that night, Ali Amin Gandapur confirmed his resignation and said, “The post of Prime Minister was Imran Khan’s trust. As per his instructions, I repay that trust by resigning from my position.”
He pledged to fully support his successor and pledged to “fully support and cooperate with the new prime minister.”
When the news of Sohail Afridi’s nomination broke, police security was immediately deployed in front of his residence in Hayatabad, with additional personnel deployed as a precautionary measure.
Family, friends and party supporters flocked to his house to congratulate him, while PTI leaders hailed his appointment as the beginning of a “new chapter” for the province.
It is pertinent to note that the latest development comes a week after the PTI was embroiled in a controversy when Aleema Khan and Gandapur exchanged serious accusations, with the latter accusing Imran’s sister of sowing discord within the party.
The dispute began when Aleema claimed that Gandapur had told his jailed brother that he was trying to hijack the PTI with the help of Military Intelligence (MI) and the “establishment”.
His comments came just a day after Gandapur held a two-hour meeting with the former prime minister in jail and left without speaking to the media.
In a subsequent video statement responding to Aleema’s allegations, Gandapur alleged that campaigns were being carried out to declare her PTI president. He admitted to informing Imran that such campaigns and agendas were harming the party.
The exchange of accusations between Aleema, who rose to prominence after her brother’s imprisonment in August 2023 and regularly visits him in Adiala jail, and Gandapur further fueled speculation about deep rifts between the PTI leadership and Imran Khan’s family members.
Earlier in June, similar cracks appeared when the passage of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s fiscal budget exposed growing internal divisions within the PTI.
