Islamabad [Pakistan], October 8 (ANI): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Ali Amin Gandapur announced on Wednesday that he would step down from his position as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister following party founder Imran Khan's directive to replace him with MPA Sohail Afridi, Dawn reported.

'The role of the chief minister was Imran Khan Sahib's amaanat (entrustment), and as per his order, I am returning his amaanat and submitting my resignation,' read a statement on Gandapur's official Facebook account.

PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram also shared the same message on X, attributing it to Gandapur. The PTI confirmed the news on its official X account, stating, 'Ali Amin Gandapur has resigned as per Imran Khan's directive,' Dawn reported.

Shortly before Gandapur's post, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja confirmed that MPA Sohail Afridi had been chosen as the next chief minister on Imran Khan's instructions. 'This is correct,' Raja told a reporter in Rawalpindi when asked about Afridi's appointment.

Speaking later at a media briefing, Raja said the decision had been made by Imran Khan himself, who had explained 'the background of this in detail and also ordered me to put this before you.'

According to Dawn, Raja quoted Imran as expressing deep concern about the deteriorating security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. 'There is the worst terrorism situation in KP. There have been record incidents this year [...] the lives lost and martyrdoms so far, there is no example found of this,' he said.

'Khan sahib is very sad, the incident that happened in Orakzai, Khan sahib said there is no choice for him now, but to do the change [in KP CM],' Raja added.

He further quoted Imran as saying that for over two years, he had maintained that the federal government's policies were 'very wrong' and that the KP government 'should disassociate itself from it.'

Raja said Imran 'repeatedly said there are three stakeholders and until they were involved, there would not be peace in KP and Pakistan,' identifying them as residents of tribal areas, the Afghan government, and the 'Afghan people.'

'The way we humiliated Afghan refugees and cast them out from Pakistan, we have sown such a hate of which there was no need, after hosting them for 40 years, [...] and is unforgivable in eyes of Imran Khan,' Raja stated.

He also criticised the federal government for not maintaining proper contact with the Afghan interim administration, Dawn reported.

Less than an hour before Raja's comments, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan clarified that he had not issued any statement to the media regarding Gandapur's removal. 'This [is] to clarify that I have not made any statement to the media about Ali Amin Gandapur. I have not spoken to any media outlet that 'news about change of CM KP is fake or is a conspiracy against the party',' he posted on X.

His clarification came after several media outlets reported that Gandapur was to be replaced as chief minister.

The development followed recent turmoil within PTI after a public spat between Imran Khan's sister Aleema Khan and Gandapur, in which both traded serious allegations. Gandapur accused Aleema of creating divisions within the party, while she alleged that he had told her brother she was attempting to 'hijack' PTI with help from the establishment.

According to Dawn, Aleema's remarks came a day after Gandapur met the imprisoned PTI founder for over two hours and left without speaking to reporters. Gandapur later claimed that campaigns were being run to project Aleema as PTI chairperson and said he had informed Imran that such moves were damaging the party.

The dispute between the two further fuelled speculation of widening cracks between the PTI founder and his family members.

In June, tensions had already surfaced when the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa budget was passed at midnight, exposing divisions within PTI. Gandapur had initially said he would seek Imran Khan's approval before finalising the budget but later proceeded with its passage on June 24 without consulting him.

The move surprised senior PTI figures, including Salman Akram Raja and former KP finance minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra, who said the approval could have been delayed until June 27. Gandapur defended his decision, saying any delay could have opened the door for the imposition of governor's rule in the province. (ANI)