Gandapur behaves as predicted

ISLAMABAD: When Ali Amin Gandapur was nominated after the Feb 8 elections for the slot of KP Chief Minister, an informed source from relevant quarters had told this correspondent, “He will behave.”

The eleventh-hour cancellation of PTI’s public rally in Islamabad has surprised most of PTI leaders and workers and angered many others, including Aleema Khan. Media reports suggest that it was Gandpur’s late night interaction with jailed Imran Khan that led to the postponement of the much-awaited political show of the PTI in the federal capital.

On May 28, The News published a story titled “Gandapur fiery in politics, cool in closed door meetings”. The story’s opening paragraphs read: “KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur can become a key source of engagement between the Imran Khan-led PTI and the military establishment. Publicly known for his fiery temper, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has been carrying himself well in his interactions with the federal government and during SIFC meetings. Informed sources said that during the SIFC meeting and in his official interaction with the federal government authorities including the Prime Minister, Ali Amin has been behaving completely in contrast to his aggressive public posturing.” Although, it was not published then on the request of the source, in the same SIFC meeting, Gandapur on a matter under discussion in the council had requested Army Chief General Asim Munir to support his case in the meeting.

The same day, the prime minister and the KP CM had an interesting light chat on Gandapur’s public posturing and how he behaves in closed door meetings. Both laughed and enjoyed the discussion. Later, during his press conference along with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Power Minister Owais Leghari, Gandapur, in reply to a question, had also told the media that his politics and his administrative responsibility should remain detached and not be mixed up. Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur also said that he was ready to work with all the state institutions to resolve the issues of his province.

It is said that in the closed-door meetings, Gandapur had conveyed the same to the federal authorities. “He is cooperative, he positively takes part in discussions on issues of national interest and never engages in any sort of conflict or bad mouthing,” a source, who attended a few such federal level meetings, had revealed about the conduct of KP chief minister.

Gandapur was Imran Khan’s choice as CM but within the PTI some accuse him to being a man of the military establishment. Before the Feb 8 general elections and at the time of fielding candidates, Imran Khan had ensured that all other PTI runners for the KP CM slot be given National Assembly tickets to guarantee the smooth sailing of Gandapur to the Chief Minister’s office. A senior PTI leader had told this correspondent on that occasion that those who closely know Gandapur are sure that he is politically very sharp and knows how to keep a balance between his party’s politics and those who matter.