Peshawar, NOV 29: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has rejected reports of any differences between him and Bushra Bibi, calling them mere propaganda.
Addressing concerns in a statement, he reaffirmed that their relationship remains strong, and there is no discord between them.
The chief minister emphasised that the primary goal for him and his supporters is the release of the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), adding that the cases against them are baseless.
“There are no differences between Bushra Bibi and myself,” said CM Gandapur in Peshawar. He further explained, “Reports suggesting any discord are purely fabricated and part of a smear campaign.”
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The statement comes amid reports of differences between Gandapur and Bushra after the recent Islamabad protest, particularly on the matter of staging the sit-in at D-Chowk.
The former ruling party’s “do-or-die” protest demanding Khan’s release culminated with more than 1,000 supporters being arrested by authorities.
PTI Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja, claiming that at least 20 people lost their lives, has said that the party would approach the courts against the government, the Ministry of Interior, and the interior minister.
Meanwhile, Islamabad’s police chief, Ali Rizvi, denied that live ammunition had been used during the operation.
PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat on Thursday said that KP CM Gandapur was not in favour of marching towards D-Chowk.
“The KP CM was stressed out as he did not want to proceed beyond the Kulsoom Hospital limit. He was not in favour of marching towards D-Chowk beyond Chungi Number 26 [….] He even visited Bushra’s vehicle twice],” remarked Marwat.
Another PTI leader Raoof Hasan has ruled out the possibility of Bushra being forced by CM Gandapur to leave Islamabad’s D-Chowk in the wake of the government crackdown against party protesters.
“I don’t think it is possible to forcefully take someone along from that place [D-Chowk],” said Hasan said while responding to a question regarding the possibility of Gandapur forcing Bushra to abandon the protest site.
Meanwhile, the KP chief minister, who is also a senior leader of the PTI, went on to assert that the primary focus remains on securing the release of PTI’s founder Imran Khan.
“Our goal is to ensure the freedom of our leader, and the fabricated cases against us are without merit,” Gandapur added.
The CM also confirmed that he would be addressing the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly later today, where he would provide further details about the situation and outline future actions. “
I will speak in the assembly about what has happened and what we plan to do moving forward,” he said.
‘Heated exchange’
A day earlier, during the meeting of the core committee at the CM House, sources revealed that there were some tense exchanges between CM Gandapur and Bushra Bibi.
The disagreement stemmed from a heated debate over party leadership issues, with both sides defending their positions, the sources said.
The sources also noted that the core committee members severely criticised the central leadership, particularly over the failure to address issues like the exclusion of party workers.
Some committee members raised concerns about leadership decisions, questioning why no clear direction had been given regarding who would lead the workers.
Additionally, the core committee members expressed frustration with the lack of action in various key areas.
At one point, Bushra Bibi voiced her support for former president Arif Alvi, which prompted a sharp rebuke from CM Gandapur.
The situation escalated when a statement by PTI leader Shaukat Yousafzai regarding Bushra Bibi was also discussed, leading to heated discussions within the meeting.
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