Aleema Khan, sister of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, on Tuesday dismissed suggestions that her brother has become politically irrelevant, as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly passed the provincial budget for the fiscal year 2025–26.
Question: Have KP Assembly minused Imran Khan?
Aleema Apa: “Yes (almost sobbed)”
Q: “MPAs say that AAG is too powerful, you can’t say no to him.”
AA: “If they cannot carry the burden then they should go home.” pic.twitter.com/JXe23uAJ25
— Meetha Kharbooza (@aikazaadfruit) June 24, 2025
Speaking to reporters outside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, Aleema was asked whether the oft-repeated narrative of ‘minus Imran Khan’ — implying his diminished role in national politics — had materialised. She responded, “I believe minus Imran Khan has indeed happened,” taking aim at the ruling coalition’s assertions of her brother’s declining political clout.
Read more: Zohran Mamdani: NYC’s First Muslim Mayor Candidate and a Vocal Advocate for Gaza
Aleema expressed concern over what she saw as attempts to suppress Khan’s message to the public. “If the police want to stop us, let them. We are not afraid,” she said, accusing the government of fearing the PTI founder’s influence.
She also criticised the KP government for pushing through the budget without consulting Imran Khan, expressing surprise at the urgency with which it was passed. “We don’t know why the KP government was in such a rush. They couldn’t even wait two more days. I’m shocked the lawmakers didn’t discuss the budget or share its contents with the PTI founder,” she said.
Aleema, along with PTI workers, attempted to reach Adiala Jail to meet Imran Khan but were prevented by police from entering the premises.
Gandapur Defends Budget Move, Rejects ‘Minus Khan’ Notion
In response to Aleema’s remarks, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur reaffirmed his loyalty to Imran Khan, rejecting any suggestion that the PTI founder could be sidelined.
“Imran Khan can only be ‘minus’ over our dead bodies,” he declared in a video statement. Gandapur urged party workers to identify those undermining the PTI movement, hinting at internal divisions.
Read more: Iranian nuclear scientist and his family killed in Israeli attack
Without naming Aleema directly, he said that while Imran Khan, his wife, and many party leaders and supporters were imprisoned, “a few individuals” were advancing agendas that weakened the party’s founding leader. “They are strengthening the PTI founder’s enemies,” he alleged.
Gandapur also clarified that Khan had not barred him from presenting the budget and assured that the KP government would be dissolved the moment Khan instructs it.
Establishment ‘Mistrust’ Blocks Any Deal: Rana Sanaullah
Meanwhile, PM’s Adviser on Political Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, ruled out any possibility of relief for Imran Khan, citing deep mistrust between the former premier and the country’s establishment.
Speaking to The News last month, Sanaullah said, “With such a level of mistrust, how can Khan be offered a deal or relief?” He acknowledged that while rumours of behind-the-scenes negotiations emerge from time to time, the reality remains unchanged.
He reiterated that political dialogue remains the only viable solution to the country’s ongoing turmoil.