Hours after appearing on television to discuss the situation at D-Chowk, where supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) staged protests on November 26, Mashal Azam Yousafzai, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), was removed from her position at the request of Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur. The Chief Minister’s Secretariat issued an official notification regarding her dismissal on Saturday.
The PTI protest, aimed at securing the release of party founder Imran Khan—who has been imprisoned for over a year—has sparked internal discord. The fallout from the protest saw prominent figures, including Salman Akram Raja and Sahibzada Hamid Raza, step down from their party positions following the events of November 27.
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Criticism has been directed at Bushra Bibi, Imran Khan’s wife, and CM Gandapur for the decision to redirect the protest to D-Chowk in Islamabad instead of Sangjani. Yousafzai confirmed to Geo News that her dismissal stemmed from comments she made during an interview on their program Naya Pakistan.
In the interview, Yousafzai, who also serves as the spokesperson for Bushra Bibi, stated that Bushra acted on instructions from Imran Khan to proceed to D-Chowk, despite the protest being described as a “do-or-die” moment for the party. “When the PTI founder directed her to move, how could she refuse?” Yousafzai argued.
She also claimed that Bushra’s vehicle was attacked during the protest, with reports of gunfire and chemical splashes that obscured its windshield. This led Bushra to switch vehicles, during which Yousafzai became separated from her in the ensuing chaos. Yousafzai’s account contradicts statements from Islamabad’s police chief, who denied the use of live ammunition during the operation.
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Adding to the controversy, Yousafzai expressed surprise that PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and KP CM aide Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif were able to meet Imran Khan in Adiala Jail. She claimed Bushra Bibi received an “indirect message” regarding Imran’s alleged instructions to stage a sit-in at Sangjani, which she wanted to verify directly.