Watch: PTI Confirms Gandapur Removal from KP Office
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja confirmed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur would soon be removed from his current position.
While speaking to the media, Raja explained that Imran Khan personally made the decision and instructed him to announce it publicly on behalf of the party.
Salman Akram Raja mentioned that a formal process for the leadership change would begin shortly in accordance with the established rules and party procedures.
When questioned about whether KP MPA Muhammad Sohail Afridi would replace Gandapur, Raja confirmed that the information was accurate and part of the official transition.
Addressing the media in Rawalpindi later, Raja stated that the PTI founder discussed the decision in detail and shared his reasons for the change.
He quoted Imran Khan as showing serious concern over the deteriorating security conditions across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, calling the situation extremely alarming and unstable.
According to Raja, Imran Khan said that the rising wave of terrorism incidents this year had left him with no other choice but to act.
He added that the tragic Orakzai attack served as a painful reminder of the need for an urgent change in the provincial leadership.
Less than an hour earlier, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan clarified through a post on X that he had not issued any statement about Gandapur.
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He rejected circulating claims suggesting that he described the development as a conspiracy or a false narrative spread against the party.
The leadership shift comes after weeks of internal disputes, including serious differences between Gandapur and Imran Khan sister Aleema Khan over party matters.
Both traded strong allegations last week, further strengthening speculation about a widening rift within PTI and its core leadership structure.
Tensions escalated when Aleema accused Gandapur of attempting to defame her by associating her with the establishment to create divisions.
In response, Gandapur said that certain groups were running campaigns to promote Aleema as PTI chairperson, which could ultimately harm party unity.
Internal divisions had already surfaced in June when the KP Assembly passed the provincial budget without Gandapur consulting Imran Khan as earlier promised.
The move surprised senior PTI leaders, including Salman Akram Raja and Taimur Saleem Jhagra, who questioned the urgency of pushing the budget through.
Gandapur defended his decision, saying that any delay in approving the budget might have opened the door for the imposition of governor rule.
However, his justification did little to reduce the growing unease within the PTI leadership, which continues to debate the decision internally.
