ISLAMABAD: The resignation of Ali Amin Gandapur, chief minister of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — the political stronghold of former Prime Minister and cricket-turned-politician Imran Khan — has surprised many observers, though signs of his fall had been gathering for weeks.
Once one of Imran Khan’s most trusted loyalists, Gandapur had gradually fallen out of favor with the leadership of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and crucially, with Khan himself.
For several days before his ouster, Gandapur was in Islamabad seeking a meeting with the imprisoned PTI founder to plead his case. The meeting never happened. “I held the chief ministership in trust for Imran Khan, and am returning it to him,” Gandapur wrote on social media, confirming his resignation — a move widely seen as less voluntary than it appeared.
PTI insiders describe the shake-up as deliberate and strategic. Khan, still directing his party from prison, wanted to reassert his grip over PTI’s last remaining bastion of power. “This wasn’t just about performance,” said one senior official. “It was about control.”
Security Failures and a Crisis of Governance
The timing was no coincidence. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which borders Afghanistan, has seen a steep rise in militant attacks this year. Pakistani Taliban factions have resurged across the province, exploiting administrative weaknesses and political divisions.
For Khan — whose populist appeal was built partly on his party’s decade-long governance in this region — the province’s worsening security situation had become politically costly. The deadly assault in Orakzai district last week, which left 11 soldiers dead including two officers, was reportedly the final straw.
Sources close to PTI say Khan had grown frustrated with Gandapur’s inability to control the security crisis and manage his own cabinet, where friction with bureaucrats and ministers had paralyzed decision-making.
“After Orakzai, Khan sahib was clear — a new face was needed,” a senior PTI member said.
The Internal Fault Lines: Factionalism and Frustration
Multiple party insiders describe a long list of grievances that accumulated against Gandapur:
Lack of political initiative: Khan believed Gandapur was failing to take proactive steps to defend him or strengthen PTI’s position nationally, particularly during major anti-government protests in Lahore and Islamabad.
Conflict with party organization: Gandapur had clashed with PTI’s provincial organizers, including attempts to sideline senior figures such as Junaid Akbar. The rift deepened to the point that party rallies in Peshawar faltered under his watch.
Formation of a personal faction: Gandapur allegedly tried to build his own loyal group within PTI — to expand his influence beyond Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including into Punjab politics.
Governance complaints: Provincial ministers privately accused him of running an unresponsive administration. “Secretaries and DGs answered only to the chief minister or his relatives,” one source said. “Ministers felt sidelined.”
Rifts with Khan’s family: Gandapur reportedly angered Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, and other senior figures after accusing an ally of being linked to the establishment— a move seen as reckless and divisive.
Perceived proximity to the establishment: Some within the party believed Gandapur’s stance was at times more conciliatory toward state institutions than consistent with Khan’s hardline approach. According to one insider, Gandapur “often emphasized the need for cooperation and balance in governance,” a position that reportedly caused unease among PTI’s more ideological members.
Contradictions over military operations: While publicly opposing new military offensives in the tribal belt, Gandapur privately endorsed them, contradicting PTI’s stated position.
Together, these factors amounted to what one senior PTI official described as “a charge sheet” that left Khan with little choice. “It was either discipline the province or lose control over it,” the official said.
The Rise of Sohail Afridi — From Tribal Belt to Power
Khan’s choice of Sohail Afridi, a 35-year-old legislator from Pakistan’s former tribal areas, to replace Gandapur was both strategic and symbolic. Afridi represents the newly merged districts along the Afghan border — a region long marginalized and battered by conflict.
For the first time, an MP from the tribal belt will lead Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The appointment signals both a generational and geographic shift — a bid by Khan to project inclusivity and reconnect with communities that form the bedrock of PTI’s grassroots strength.
Party officials call Afridi a “disciplined loyalist” who endured arrests and hardship during Pakistan’s political crackdowns. “He saw jail, he saw pressure, but he never wavered,” said one PTI’s leader . “He represents Khan’s uncompromising politics and his connection with the common man.”
Power, Control, and the Shadow of Imran Khan
Beneath the surface, the transition underscores a larger reality: even from behind bars, Imran Khan remains the undisputed center of Pakistan’s opposition politics. His removal of Gandapur — a veteran loyalist — shows his willingness to sacrifice personal allies to maintain institutional discipline.
By engineering this reshuffle, Khan has reasserted control over PTI’s internal hierarchy while sending a message to other power centers — that he remains politically potent. “He neutralized a faction that was growing too autonomous,” one insider said. “It’s a reminder that every decision in PTI still flows from one person.”
Yet the move also exposes a paradox: Khan’s reliance on charismatic regional power brokers like Gandapur helped PTI’s rise, but it is now those same personalities that threaten his centralized control. The balancing act between populism and discipline continues to define PTI’s evolution.
A Province on the Edge
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s new leadership faces a province under growing strain. Years of conflict, economic hardship, and governance fatigue have eroded public confidence. Militancy is resurging, the provincial economy is stagnant, and coordination with Islamabad remains strained.
For Sohail Afridi, the challenge is immense: to assert authority in a volatile political landscape while staying loyal to a leader ruling from confinement. Analysts warn that unless PTI can stabilize the province and rebuild trust with security institutions, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could once again become Pakistan’s most fragile frontier.
From his prison cell, Imran Khan has delivered a clear message — loyalty will be rewarded, complacency punished. The reshuffle in his political heartland may resolve one internal battle, but it also marks the start of a new struggle for power in Pakistan’s turbulent northwest.
