Hassan Naqvi
ISLAMABAD : Chief Minister (CM) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Ali Amin Gandapur is likely to be disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and his arrest is also on the cards in May 9 related cases, The Frontier Post (TFP) has learnt.
It is pertinent to mention that on Tuesday, the ECP issued a notice to KP CM Gandapur in response to a petition filed by Muhammad Kafeel, seeking his disqualification. The petition contends that Gandapur wrongly claimed ownership of 735 kanals of land in Kulachi tehsil, Dera Ismail Khan district.
According to Kafeel, the land, temporarily transferred to Gandapur, rightfully belongs to Asif Khan. Documents indicate that Gandapur acknowledged his role as a titular owner, with Asif Khan being the true proprietor, as stated in the petition.
The controversy further stirred from Gandapur’s 2020 financial declaration, where he reported purchasing a Toyota Land Cruiser (YB-777) with proceeds from the disputed land sale, indicating a failure to meet integrity standards required for his position as an MPA, according to Kafeel.
The hearing has been adjourned until March 26, with an order issued by ECP’s member from Sindh, Nisar Ahmed Durrani, directing the office to issue notice to respondent No. 5 (Ali Amin Gandapur) for the designated date through the District Election Commissioner (DEC) concerned, with the service report of DEC due before the set date.
Sources from the ECP confirmed to TFP that Gandapur’s chief ministership and provincial assembly seat is in hot waters and the elections commission has received irrefutable evidence against him.
“It is very much likely that he will lose the chief ministership if he fails to prove his innocence,” a senior official at ECP Islamabad who is privy to this development told TFP.
Sources from the power corridors in Islamabad also maintained that Ali Amin Gandapur’s arrest is also on the cards for May 9 related cases as he is also one of the main accused.
“His arrest on his arrival in Islamabad or in Punjab cannot be ruled out and it is likely to take place once he is not the chief minister of KP,” a senior official from Punjab police told TFP.
One of the close aides of Gandapur told TFP that he is also aware of this development and is currently weighing his legal options for this legal and constitutional battle.
“Gandapur will try seeking a stay order against the expected adverse decision of ECP from high courts or supreme court and other options. He is currently consulting legal wizards and will fight it out,” one of his close friends maintained on the condition of anonymity.
He maintained that we have such examples in the past where PTI’s Qasim Suri served his entire term in the National Assembly on stay order.
Speaking to TFP, Barrister Ahmed Pansota claimed that it is not ECP’s jurisdiction to disqualify CM KP Ali Amin Gandapur.
Barrister Pansota was of the opinion that if ECP decides to disqualify Gandapur the decision will be suspended by the court and he will get the stay order.
“This is a post election dispute which can only be averted by an election tribunal, as constituted under the Elections Act, 2017,” he stated.
Gandapur, was elected as a member of the KP Assembly from the PK-113 constituency of Dera Ismail Khan as a PTI-backed independent candidate on February 8, 2024 elections, later assumed the role of chief minister.
Prior to that, he served as the federal minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan from October 5, 2018, to April 10, 2022, in the cabinet of then-prime minister, Imran Khan.
Interestingly, the Punjab government had also implemented a precautionary measure by halting the visit of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister, Ali Amin Gandapur, to Adiala Jail on Tuesday.
In a letter directed to the Deputy Secretary Judicial of KP, the Punjab Home Department cited security concerns as the rationale behind prohibiting meetings with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder.
Stressing the current security situation, the letter deems it impractical for the KP Chief Minister to proceed with the scheduled visit to Adiala Jail.
Consequently, it advocates for postponing the visit, proposing a rescheduling of the meeting program to ensure the safety and security of all parties involved.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Punjab Home Department had imposed a ban on meetings with prisoners and detainees at Adiala Jail, ostensibly due to recent security apprehensions.
This prohibition extends to meetings with PTI founder, Imran Khan. The department announced that on Tuesday, visitors were prohibited from meeting any prisoners or detainees at Adiala Jail, deviating from the usual visitation protocols.
The decision to enforce the ban was prompted by multiple intelligence reports received by the Punjab Home Department, indicating potential security threats linked with these meetings.
This action followed shortly after the arrest of three suspected terrorists in close proximity to Adiala Jail. During the arrest operation, law enforcement authorities seized maps of Adiala Jail, hand grenades, and detonators, heightening concerns about potential security risks emanating from external influences.
On March 7, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and the police, in a joint operation, thwarted an attempt on Adiala Jail, apprehending three terrorists. Police officials also claimed to have confiscated heavy weapons and ammunition from the arrested suspects, who were subsequently relocated to undisclosed locations.
A spokesman for the Rawalpindi police asserted in a statement that the three detained terrorists hailed from Afghanistan.
The Rawalpindi city police officer additionally stated that heavy automatic weapons and ammunition were among the items seized from the arrested individuals. Furthermore, hand grenades, improvised explosive devices, and maps of the jail were recovered from them.
