ISLAMABAD: Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has strongly criticised the removal of Ali Amin Gandapur as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s chief minister and the nomination of Sohail Khan Afridi as his successor, insisting the move reflects the PTI’s soft corner for terrorists.
Reacting to the top-level change in KP, Tarar, during a press conference alongside PMLN leader Ikhtiyar Wali, claimed that the PTI had previously complained that Gandapur failed to fully facilitate terrorist elements. He also alleged that the PTI has now chosen someone who holds sympathies for extremists.
“The nation’s sacrifices will go in vain if such a person is made chief minister,” Tarar said, adding that the PTI founder Imran Khan, sitting in jail, is the chief sponsor of terrorists. He further alleged that Afridi faces multiple criminal cases and is a “criminal-minded individual”.
The information minister asserted that Pakistan’s security policy will be made in Islamabad, not Kabul.
Tarar also welcomed the London court’s verdict, saying it discredited PTI’s false narrative and exposed the party’s supporters abroad. He added that no one sitting overseas has the right to speak against Pakistan after the ruling.
Meanwhile, PMLN leader Wali said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is collapsing due to terrorism and misgovernance, blaming PTI for political instability and internal disputes. He claimed that Gandapur was removed after clashes with Bushra Bibi and Aleema Khan over financial shares, and that provincial appointments were being sold for hefty sums on one-year terms.
Wali added that PTI’s social media wing dictates party policy, calling the group “divisive and irresponsible”.