PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Sunday strongly denied reports of differences with Bushra Bibi and said that Bushra Bibi was satisfied with his actions. He also ruled out any major protest for now.
In a detailed conversation with The News, he said there are no plans of any major protest at the moment, adding his primary responsibility is to take to care of the party workers. Around 22 workers were martyred, and financial assistance is being provided to their families, while arrangements for the treatment of the injured are being made, he added.
Ali Amin stated that hundreds of workers are either arrested or missing, and efforts are under way to trace them. Arrangements are also being made for arrested workers’ bail and all of them will be provided legal aid. He said workers’ vehicles are also in police custody and efforts are being made to retrieve them, he added.
Gandapur said Bushra was happy with his actions because many leaders had fled and left her alone.
Regarding the D-Chowk and Sangjani controversy, the CM stated that Bushra Bibi’s stance was that the convoys would stop on Imran Khan’s video message, but no such message was received and the convoys had to head towards D-Chowk.
He said that as soon as he realised a major operation was about to begin, he immediately decided to take Bushra Bibi out. “Suddenly, direct firing also started, and we had to leave quickly. However, our vehicle was the last to leave, while others had already left,” he added.
He said, “I rescued her (Bushra) from Islamabad amidst a barrage of bullets, even though the car’s tyres had burst. Bushra Bibi is our honour, I could not leave her alone to be arrested. They tried to stop us on the way, but he decided not to stop the vehicle and continued to break through all obstacles, despite firing. I continued driving with burst tyres, eventually entering the KP region. All leaders who were making noise now had fled and left Bushra Bibi alone. I managed to take Bushra out with great difficulty, broke through police check posts. Her arrested would have been a major humiliation for us because she is the wife of Imran Khan, and her protection was our responsibility. It’s false news that she was forcibly brought into the car. No one can forcibly interact with Bushra Bibi and no one mistreated her. Everyone is selling one’s own narrative.”
He said that there is no restriction on Bushra Bibi, and she meets whoever she wishes, adding he cannot stop anyone from meeting her.
On the dismissal of Mashal Yousafzai, he said that at one point, Mashal could no longer serve as both the government and Bushra Bibi’s spokesperson, so she was removed from the government position. Now, she only serves as Bushra Bibi’s spokesperson.
Addressing a press conference Gandapur criticised Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and the federal government, accusing them of overstepping constitutional boundaries and creating administrative confusion.
He asserted that convening an All-Parties Conference (APC) was not within the governor’s powers. “We will call the APC. This is not the governor’s responsibility,” Gandapur declared.
The chief minister talked of a lack of financial support from the federal government and claimed this was hindering the province’s ability to address key issues.
He said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had received only 1 percent of the funds promised under counter-terrorism initiatives, while Rs400 million allocated for the merged districts remain unpaid.
This financial shortfall, he explained, had prolonged the crisis in Kurram, which remained unresolved. “The federal government is continuously creating confusion, and the issue in Kurram was a clear example of this,” he said.
Gandapur also pointed to instigators within opposing factions in Kurram, accusing them of inciting violence. “Some individuals are pushing for violence, and our first priority is to identify and expose who these people are,” he stated.
About the governor’s actions, Gandapur said that provincial matters should be handled with constitutional propriety. “If someone invites me to discuss provincial issues, I will certainly participate, but the governor must act within his mandate,” he emphasised.
The chief minister also raised concerns about sectarian tensions in Kurram, accusing certain groups of exploiting these issues for their agendas.
Referring to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters, Gandapur expressed pride in their loyalty. “Whenever PTI has called on the people, they have stood with us. But this time, bullets were fired upon peaceful protesters,” he lamented.
Gandapur expressed frustration over the unfulfilled promise of releasing Rs400 million allocated for the merged districts. he lauded PTI supporters for their resilience, saying, “Whenever PTI has called upon the people, they have stood with us.”
