Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur resurfaced in the public at a ceremony of the Peshawar Bar Council Association on Wednesday, one day after disappearing for a few hours after the controversial September 8 party rally.
Gandapur remained defiant in his stance, saying, “I want to give a message to our leader [Imran Khan] that we support your ideology.”
After the CM KP gave an explosive speech targeting the military establishment, the government and journalists at the September 8 rally, a crackdown began against PTI MNAs later that night while Gandapur himself was unreachable for a few hours.
The CM of KP assailed the military for its failure to deal with terrorism in the province, announcing that he would send a delegation to Afghanistan to resolve the issue through negotiations. “Keep your policies with you,” he said.
“As a province leader, I will speak to Afghanistan. I will send a delegation to Afghanistan. I will speak to them, and through negotiations, I will resolve this issue and save lives,” said Gandapur.
Addressing bar members, he asked state institutions to mend their ways for their own and the country’s benefit.
Chief Minister (CM) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Ali Amin Gandapur apologised for his controversial remarks during the Sangjani power show after meeting with intelligence agency officers in Islamabad, veteran journalist Azaz Syed has claimed.
Speaking on ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath,’ Azaz Syed disclosed that intelligence officers showed concerns over Gandapur’s speech, upon which he apologised instantly.
Syed ruled out rumours of Gandapur’s arrest, saying that the CM received a call from an intelligence officer to meet in a Constitutional Evenue intelligence office.
He said, “All mobile phones were taken away before the meeting with officers.”
“Gandapur was not confident after the meeting was over,” claims Syed
Earlier, Opposition Leader in National Assembly (NA) Omar Ayub Khan said that the federal government and establishment invited Gandapur to a cup of tea to discuss security concerns in KP; after that, his security staff and mobile phone went out of reach upon which rumours erupted of Gandapur’s possible arrest in Islamabad.
Founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan has claimed that Chief Minister (CM) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur was abducted after a power show at Sangjani.
Speaking to journalist at Adila jail, former Prime Minister Khan allegedly said that the establishment had tricked him over the September 8 rally at Sangjani and arrested PTI’s top leadership.
Khan expounding on the postponed rally of August 22 he said, “PTI leader Azam Swati visited Adiala jail at 7 AM and conveyed the establishment message.” This was followed by Khan rescheduling the rally in Islamabad.
Khan alleged that the establishment had offered him ‘acquittal in all cases’ if he remained silent for three years.
He criticized the incumbent government for barring the PTI supporters from reaching the Sangjani area by blocking the roads with containers.
Responding to Chief Justice Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa’s tenure extension, Khan warned of street agitation if parliament tries to extend CJP’s tenure through constitutional amendments.
Chief Minister (CM) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Ali Amin Gandapur has reached Peshawar despite speculation of his arrest in Islamabad.
Yesterday, Information Advisor KP Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif claimed that Gandapur disappeared after the power show rally at Sangjani, and his phone number was switched off.
“Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur is in Islamabad, not Peshawar, but we have no information on his whereabouts,” he claimed yesterday.
Opposition leader in the National Assembly (NA) Omar Ayub Khan said that the federal government and establishment invited Gandapur for a cup of tea to discuss security concerns in KP, adding that they could not reach out to the security staff via mobile phone.
On the other hand, Zulfi Bukhari claimed on X (formerly Twitter) that CM KP Gandapur had been arrested/abducted.
Upon CM KP Ali Amin Gandapur’s arrival in Peshawar, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker Shahid Khattak clarified that Gandapur was busy in various meetings in Islamabad, rejecting the rumours of disappearance.
On September 9, Islamabad police launched a crackdown against PTI leadership for violating the new public order law. They arrested prominent figures, including Chairman PTI Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Sher Afzal Marwat.
Today, PTI leader Ali Muhammad Khan criticised the incumbent government in the National Assembly on the arrest of PTI lawmakers.
Posing a question, he said, “Today, I am making a case on democracy. What happened to democracy and to this parliament last night? We are not in Israel; we are in Pakistan.”
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif hit back at Khan, saying, “If you say ‘No founder PTI Imran Khan, no Pakistan’, what will be the reaction?”
“CM KP Gandapur, bring an army of Pashtuns and attack Punjab,” he added.
The Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Ali Amin Gandapur has threatened former foreign minister and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, saying, “Bilawal tera governor bhi KP house mein nai ghusse ga, [Bilawal, your Governor will not be able to enter KP House]” after a KP minister was allegedly not allowed to enter Sindh House.
“I will show you here [KP] that your governor won’t be able to come here to KP House,” exclaimed Gandapur.
The CM said that Pakistan is not the private property of Bilawal. Furthermore, he said, “If you continue to adopt this attitude then I will challenge you to even enter the Governor House here.”
On April 17, social media was in an uproar with the news of Advisor to the Chief Minister (CM) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Mashal Yousafzai requesting the government for luxury cars worth more than Rs 27 million on provincial government’s expenditure.
Social media users were quick to criticise the move as the government is implementing austerity measures due to poor economic environment.
Geo News reported on the issue, led by their Peshawar reporter Nadia Saboohi who sent Yousafzai messages on whatsapp to ask about her version. Soon after Geo reported on the story, Yousafzai alleged in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that Saboohi tried to extort money from her and when Yousafzai refused to give in, ‘propaganda’ was done against her.
The Current spoke with Saboohi to find out what happened.
“I had access to the document detailing the request for luxury cars, but since there are many fake documents on social media, I waited to get a confirmation from the relevant authorities about the authenticity of the document,” Saboohi said over the phone. “After the document was authenticated by proper authorities, I reached out to advisor sahiba for an explanation and her point of view.”
Interestingly, according to the document, Yousafzai had asked for a Toyota Fortuner for herself, listed at a price of over Rs. 1.7 crore and a KIA Sportage for her secretary worth Rs. 73 lakhs.
DOCUMENT
Saboohi remarked that she simply asked the advisor for her perspective, saying that she also asked if the move was wise in such a difficult economic climate, adding that “Even advisor sahiba’s own department has not paid seven to eight hundred employees their salaries.”
Saboohi also pointed out that the Chief Minister of KP Ali Amin Gandapur, implemented an austerity program and no government official is allowed to get any new cars or go abroad for medical treatment.
“In the beginning of our conversation, advisor sahiba flatly denied the existence of any such summary,” Saboohi recalled, “When she was sent the document, she changed her statement and said, ‘This summary is from March 29 and I stopped it.’”
When Geo News broke the story, it went viral, generating immense backlash against Yousafzai. The advisor then tweeted that she had taken back the request for luxury cars.
TWEET
But the issue did not die down. Yousafzai took to X again and criticised the journalist and posted a serious allegation on X against Saboohi.
‘You’re taking money from the ‘boys’ and Muazzam Butt,” read Yousafzai’s tweet.
She also posted screenshots of the conversation she had with the journalist and revealed Saboohi’s phone number to the public. However, in the screenshots posted in her tweet, there is no evidence that Saboohi had extorted money from the advisor.
Yousafzai later deleted the tweet.
Deleted Tweet
“I made it clear to advisor sahiba that, being a journalist, I have no interest in taking sides,” Saboohi said. “I also told her that I have no personal grudge against you but the story was important to break because given the tough socio-economic environment the people of KP are facing, people deserved to know that luxury vehicles might be purchased using taxpayers’ money.”
According to Saboohi, Yousafza has issues within her own party, specifically with senior advocate Muazzam Butt in Insaf Lawyers Forum. Butt was also mentioned in the tweet against Saboohi, as someone who Yousafzai alleged, was paying off the journalist. Yousafzai said to Saboohi, “Because Muazzam was unable to become the advocate general so he started propaganda against me with your help.”
Saboohi said that it was her job as a journalist to report stories about the government in KP and the CM had said that he wanted news outlets to openly report and criticise his government’s actions if needed. In return, “[Yousafzai] released my contact information on social media just because she didn’t approve of my story”.
KP GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSE
“The CM house rejected the summary when it was sent to them as told by the CM social media wing representative Yar Muhammad Niazi,” revealed Saboohi. Niazi told her that the document might have been circulated but it was always going to be rejected.
Saboohi also pointed out that the advisor neither holds the authority to send such a document nor put a stop to it because the ministry belongs to CM.
“The spokesperson of KPK government, Barrister Saif, said that the document was given by Yousafzai in her individual capacity, when I asked him about the issue,” Saboohi said, “after which I asked him if that meant that any common person can request the government to buy them cars? Because this was an official government document”.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT
Khyber Union of Journalists Peshawar Press Club condemned the advisor for making unsubstantiated remarks and sharing the female journalist’s information on social media.
According to Saboohi, a Jirga in her community has also vowed to support her, adding that, “anyone is welcome to prove these kinds of allegations in her entire 26 years of career.”
Peshawar Press Club had given Yousafzai 24 hours to delete the tweet or provide evidence of her claims. Yousafzai has since deleted that tweet.
When asked about problems she’s faced due to her contact information being publicised by the KPK official, Saboohi remarked, “I am facing a lot of harassment and threats due to this and she [Yousafzai] is responsible for this.”
SOCIAL MEDIA RESPONSE
Interestingly, PTI supporters on X are also criticising the advisor on her tweet.
The Current has reached out to Yousafzai for her version of the story and a comment and have not heard back yet.
