- Hafeezullah Niazi portraying Aleema as leader.
- “Propaganda claims no effort for founder’s release.
- KP CM confirms more reforms and cabinet changes.
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Tuesday said he had warned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan about “vloggers” trying to sow divisions in the party and promote Aleema Khan as the next chairperson, and even prime minister.
Gandapur, speaking to the media, alleged that PTI founder’s sister Aleema Khan was not only refusing to rein in the vloggers but was actively backing their undermining campaign.
The KP CM mentioned he had also conveyed to the PTI founder that columnist Hafeezullah Niazi — a relative of Khan — was writing articles portraying Aleema Khan as both the “party chairperson and prime minister”.
The chief minister said a campaign was underway to make Aleema the chairperson of the party, which he warned was damaging PTI.
He added that efforts were being made to sow despair in the party, with propaganda claiming that no serious effort was underway for the PTI founder’s release.
According to Gandapur, PTI is splintering into factions driven by vested interests. “I laid out the facts as they are before the PTI founder,” he said.
He said that the meeting with the PTI founder had a long time coming and that he had tried to touch on a wide range of issues requiring consultation.
In the previous meeting, too, matters of reforms and government changes had been discussed, Gandapur recalled. He said he had informed the PTI founder earlier that his government intended to make some changes.
During the latest consultation, reforms and cabinet reshuffles had been discussed in detail.
After the meeting with the PTI founder, Gandapur called Aqibullah and Faisal Tarakai and informed them of the decisions made.
He emphasised that such developments were normal in government affairs.
The chief minister added that both Aqibullah and Tarakai had been part of his team, and further reforms and changes were now being implemented after consultation with the PTI founder.
Gandapur also stated that the PTI founder had issued directions regarding both party and government matters.
He also explained that his government had presented the provincial budget to avoid legal complications; otherwise, the government itself would have collapsed.
The KP CM acknowledged the presence of groupings within the party earlier this month but denied any role in them.
Speaking to the media at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail on September 15, he urged party workers not to join any factions.
He alleged that the government was preventing him from meeting Imran Khan to widen divisions within the party.
