PESHAWAR: Although the sacking of Ali Amin Gandapur came as a surprise to many, the erstwhile chief executive of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa may well have had an inkling that his time was up.
Mr Gandapur, who has been in Islamabad for the past several days, is thought to have been trying to meet the PTI founder.
Sources said that soon after the party’s announcement that he would be replaced, the strongman from Dera Ismail Khan tried to secure a meeting with the party founder to make a last-ditch attempt to save his seat. However, things did not pan out that way, and he had to bow out.
“I held the KP chief ministership in trust for Imran Khan, and am returning it to him after tendering my resignation,” he posted on social media on Wednesday.
PTI insiders told Dawn that Mr Gandapur has decided to go down without a fight that may create further problems for the embattled party. “He will make a smooth transition,” an insider told Dawn.
Speculation about a possible change at CM House had been rife. Although there was no official word, sources close to Sohail Afridi — the new CM-in-waiting — had left it be known that he had been tapped for the top spot.
Mr Afridi is said to be Bushra Bibi’s pick to run the province.
Those privy to matters confided that while Imran Khan’s spouse and sister rarely see eye to eye, they had a rare convergence of opinion on Mr Gandapur, with both agreeing to the need for his ouster.
Sources in the PTI said the party chief Imran Khan had made up his mind about Ali Amin’s removal after the November 26 march on the federal capital, when Mr Gandapur mysteriously disappeared from Islamabad, leaving confused workers behind.
He subsequently met Imran Khan several times in his prison cell and bought time by assuring him that he would be the one to fulfil his (Imran’s) agenda.
