Former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who was recently removed from his position, was reportedly in favour of negotiations rather than launching another protest march towards Islamabad. 

According to party insiders, his stance was that no more blood of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers should be shed during political campaigns.

However, PTI’s founding chairman Imran Khan allegedly rejected Gandapur’s advice, insisting on continuing the protest movement to achieve his political objectives and secure his release from jail.

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According to sources within the party, Gandapur was not willing to pursue another confrontational course, especially after the violent incidents that occurred during the previous protest march in November.

A senior party insider revealed that Gandapur was among those members who believed that the politics of street agitation had yielded no meaningful results and that dialogue should be given a fair chance. The source added that Gandapur was confident he could secure the release of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi if he were allowed to lead negotiations independently.

Sources further disclosed that Murad Saeed had conveyed the name of Sohail Afridi to Imran Khan through a female member of Bushra Bibi’s family. Reportedly, Imran Khan did not know much about Sohail Afridi but trusted Murad Saeed’s recommendation and consequently nominated him as the new Chief Minister.

According to the insider, Imran Khan might not even have been fully aware of who Sohail Afridi was. It was also reported that Ali Amin Gandapur had become deeply disheartened by the criticism directed at him by PTI’s social media teams, which he primarily blamed on Aleema Khan.

The sources said the former chief minister had informed Imran Khan that internal divisions within the party and the constant criticism from its own members on social media had weakened him politically. 

Gandapur had requested Imran Khan to unite the party behind him, but factionalism and internal rivalries reportedly persisted.