Gandapur resigns as CM of Pakistan's KP province on ex-PM Imran's order
- Last updated: October 8, 2025 | 18:47
In a major development, Ali Amin Gandapur on Wednesday announced his resignation as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chief minister, saying he was stepping down on the directives of jailed Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan.
Imran nominated sitting KP minister Sohail Afridi as the new chief minister. "I am resigning from the office of chief minister on the instructions of our party founder," Gandapur said in a statement and expressed full support for Sohail Afridi — tipped to be the next chief minister, saying that he would have his complete "backing and support."
Gandapur added that all PTI members would move forward together for the release of the party founder and the implementation of the party’s policies.
His statement comes shortly after PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja confirmed Gandapur's removal, saying that the decision was made by the party’s founder.
"It is correct that Gandapur is being removed from the office of chief minister,” Raja told journalists in Rawalpindi, adding that Afridi has been nominated as the new KP chief minister.
"We expect Sohail Afridi to guide and advise the federal government on these matters.” Raja said and expressed confidence in the new provincial leadership.
He added that the PTI founder had directed Gandapur to resign, saying the move was in his own best interest. "There will be no difficulty — Gandapur will resign, and the KP assembly will elect Afridi as the new chief minister,” he said.
Raja further stated that the party was preparing to announce a "new policy and a fresh beginning.”
He said KP was facing an alarming wave of terrorism. Raja said the KP government had been advised to distance itself from what he called "the federal government’s flawed policies,” especially those concerning the expulsion of Afghan citizens.
"The way Afghan nationals were expelled was unnecessary,” he said and criticized Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, saying: "He remained foreign minister for over a year and never visited Afghanistan.”
Raja said terrorism could only be eradicated through dialogue. "The only way to end terrorism is to sit together and negotiate.”
Commenting on other political matters, he said multiple cases had been registered against the PTI founder’s sister, Aleema Khan, while "the PTI founder believes that now Noreen Khan will carry forward his message.”