‘Imran Khan censures Gandapur over graft, lack of protest after Bushra Bibi’s arrest’

ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR, JAN 28 (DNA): Days after appointing a new party president in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has censured Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur over alleged corruption, sources told media on Tuesday.

Khan, the sources claimed, reprimanded CM Gandapur during their meeting at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail over allegations of corruption and poor performance in KP and warned him that no such complaints should be received in future.

The development comes against the backdrop of major party-level change in the KP wherein Junaid Akbar replaced CM Gandapur as PTI’s provincial president.

Akbar’s — who is also the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) — appointment holds significance as he, along with senior leader Atif Khan, had supported former KP minister Shakeel Ahmad Khan who had resigned over alleged corruption and bad governance by the CM Gandapur-led government in the province last year.

There are reports claiming that a non-political female figure — who holds extensive influence within the party and faced a rift with the chief minister over the party’s Islamabad protest in November 2024 — also played a key role in the replacement of Gandapur as the PTI president.

The incarcerated PTI founder further expressed displeasure as to why there was no protest staged in the PTI-ruled province over his wife Bushra Bibi’s arrest — the first lady was out on bail and was taken into custody upon the couple’s conviction in the £190 million case on January 17.

Directing the chief minister to consult Atif and other party leaders on government matters, the former prime minister ordered Gandapur to ensure good governance in the province.

Also, expressing displeasure over Gandapur’s pictures with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Khan directed him to focus on governance instead of becoming the security czar’s “friend”.

Meanwhile, with regard to internal turmoil faced by the Khan-founded party in KP, the sources said that the group which opposed former KP CM and ex-PTI leader “Mahmood Khan is now also active against Gandapur”.

The group which includes Atif, Akbar, Shahram Khan Tarakai and others, has complained of bad governance and issues with party-related matters on multiple occasions.

Separately, the former prime minister, during his recent meeting with Atif, Akbar and Shah Farman, tasked the group to report on alleged corruption in the province in their next meeting.

‘Gandapur’s replacement not discussed’

With seemingly Gandapur’s future as KP’s CM at risk, three senior PTI leaders, who met Khan recently, have said that there has been no discussion about changing the provincial chief executive.

However, Imran directed Atif to suggest a name for the PTI provincial leadership.

When contacted, Atif confirmed that the PTI founder had sought a nomination for the provincial president a few days ago. In their first meeting, he proposed Akbar’s name, and during a subsequent meeting in jail, Imran Khan approved Akbar’s name for the position.

He also confirmed that the ex-PM had not discussed replacing Gandapur, although the corruption complaints of ministers had caused concern.

Moreover, a party leader, on condition of anonymity, said that former first lady and Khan’s wife Bushra played a pivotal role in recent party changes and she believes that party and government roles should be distinctly separate.