Former Prime Minister Imran Khan made a major political move when he removed Ali Amin Gandapur as Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and replaced him with another PTI loyalist Sohail Khan Afridi, with widespread social media support. Many observers believe that recent events, including internal party rifts, may have prompted this decision.
However, the events of previous months, along with a relentless social media campaign against Gandapur—largely driven by Imran Khan’s own supporters—had already been brewing his downfall. After
Ali Amin Gandapur had already lost his moral and political authority as Chief Minister of KP — along with the confidence of both Imran Khan and his support base, long before he was asked to resign.
From Trusted Aide to Political Liability
Gandapur was not an ordinary party worker but had been a prominent figure within PTI and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s political landscape. Serving as the 18th Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since 2nd March 2024, he previously held several key positions in both provincial and federal governments. He served as the Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan from October 5, 2018, to April 10, 2022, and earlier as the Provincial Minister for Revenue from 2013 to 2018.
Have heard so much about Ali Amin Gandapur being compromised…. was doubtful but the way press conferences are coming in his favour Shows those all allegations were true about him….
— Mariya Rajput (@mariya_raj10) October 10, 2025
The real news isn’t who the next CM will be, it’s that Ali Amin Gandapur is gone. He was a disaster for the province and a liability for the party.
— Faizan (@faizannriaz) October 8, 2025
ALI AMIN GANDAPUR MUST RESIGN, OR IMRAN KHAN SHOULD SACK HIM IMMEDIATELY.
— Pakistan Walli (@pakistanwalli) June 28, 2025
Ali Amin belongs to an active Gandapur tribe from Dera Ismail Khan. His father, Aminullah Gandapur, also served in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. Ali Amin Gandapur joined PTI in 2007 and formally entered politics by contesting the 2013 elections.
The con artist, Ali Amin Gandapur has reportedly made a sudden visit to Islamabad at midnight, likely summoned by a colonel, possibly to meet the U.S. congressional delegation while posing as an Imran Khan loyalist, to deliver the military’s script to the congressmen, and also to…
— Pakistan Walli (@pakistanwalli) April 14, 2025
When a body turns against itself, doctors treat it with the strongest steroids. Likewise, when a movement becomes self-destructive, tough corrective measures are needed. From Sanjiani to Islamabad on 26th November, it became evident that Ali Amin Gandapur was an “autoimmune… pic.twitter.com/MK9FJWzMxj
— Dr Waqas Nawaz (@WaqasnawazMD) October 8, 2025
In 2018, he won from two constituencies. In 2024, he was once again elected to the Provincial Assembly from Dera Ismail Khan.
Leading the PTI’s South KP region as well as heading key positions in both provincial and the federal governments, Gandapur was considered a close aide to Imran Khan. When he was elected Chief Minister, both Imran Khan and his supporters expressed confidence in his leadership, that he would play a crucial role in securing Khan’s release and confronting the political challenges head-on.
جتنی عمران خان نے علی امین کو عزت دی تھی مرتبہ دیا اعتبار کیا کاش اس کا 5 فیصد ہی لٹا دیتا pic.twitter.com/FH0pGLGyo5
— Waqar khan (@Waqarkhan123) February 8, 2025
Over time, Ali Amin Gandapur began to lose the confidence of both Imran Khan and his supporters. On several occasions, Gandapur was seen as deviating from the directives and strategies outlined by Imran Khan—despite repeated calls from the PTI founder to stay aligned with the party’s course of action.
For the first 8 months, Gandapur was expected to launch one protest march after another to build momentum and pressure the powerful military establishment for the release of incarcerated PM Imran Khan.
Disappearing Acts and Growing Distrust
Governance had largely taken a backseat, and party workers expected him to direct his strength towards the release of Imran Khan. Political consequences for Ali Amin Gandapur became quite critical following the D-Chowk fiasco in November 2024, when he suddenly disappeared, leaving the protesting crowd and party supporters in the Federal Capital, Islamabad, at the mercy of brutal use of force by security forces. Several PTI workers were seriously injured in the protest.
کیا فوج علی امین گنڈاپور کو ٹھنڈے پیٹوں ہٹنے دے گی؟ کیا انتقال اقتدار کا یہ کام بخیر و عافیت انجام پا جائے گا؟ کیا کوئی فارورڈ بلاک ، کوئی آئینی و قانونی رکاوٹ کوئی عدالتی سٹے کچھ بھی نہیں ہوگا؟
کیا پاک فوج اپنے گھوڑے کو اتنی آسانی سے مرنے دے گی؟
— Enkidu Reborn (@enkidureborn) October 8, 2025
Many believe he escaped to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad for an alleged meeting with the establishment. Contrary to these rumors, Ali Amin’s bizarre story of reaching Peshawar by passing through Margall Hill was another blow to his reputation.
Ali Amin Gandapur failed to appear at several public rallies organized in 2024, often citing bizarre reasons for his absence following his appearance days after the rallies. Supporters and party leaders began to suspect that he was being restrained by powerful quarters from attending the rallies that quickly turned optimism into mistrust.
A protest rally in September 2024 at Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh was called after Ali Amin Gandapur failed to reach the venue.
Likewise, he failed to appear for the September 21, 2024, PTI’s Lahore Rally as well, citing that he was stuck due to blockades.
عوامی رائے جان لیتے ہیں۔
عمران خان کی طرف سے علی امین گنڈاپور کو ہٹانے کا فیصلہ دُرست ہے یا غلط؟ pic.twitter.com/XF5ox5D2cg— Fayyaz Shah (@RebelByThought) October 8, 2025
That was the point where social media began to play a decisive role in Gandapur’s political downfall. What was once a powerful tool for PTI turned into an antagonist for him. A wave of negative campaigns emerged online, criticizing him for his deviation from Imran Khan’s directives.
The defining push came during the 2024–2025 provincial budget controversy, when Ali Amin Gandapur ignored the party’s clear directive not to proceed without Imran Khan’s approval. Gandapur went ahead and passed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s budget without consulting Khan, arguing that he was under a constitutional obligation to pass the budget to prevent the dissolution of his government.
The social media campaign against Gandapur grew increasingly hostile and unforgiving after each perceived lapse on his part.
Read more: Imran Khan’s Big Decision: Gandapur Out, Sohail Afridi In, But How will Gen. Asim React?
Gandapur faced confrontation for establishing a direct line of communication with the interim Afghan government on Imran Khan’s order. In September 2024, Gandapur had said that he had requested the authorities for permission to hold talks with the Afghan government for peace in the province, and he warned that he would proceed on his own if the request was not considered.
The last dip for Ali Amin came when terrorism surged in his province, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, when security operations and counter-terrorism activities resulted in civilian casualties. Imran Khan sent messages to Gandapur from his prison cell to halt the drone strikes and military actions, but CM found himself stuck between the federal government and the directives of his leader from Adiala Jail.
With each passing moment, things became challenging for the outgoing CM KP Gandapur in the presence of the hyper-vigilant social media of PTI, questioning and vigorously scrutinizing his every move.