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Two months after publicly exposing the alleged nexus between Pakistan’s Army and intelligence agency ISI with terrorist groups, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has been removed from his post by imprisoned PTI chief Imran Khan.

In his place, Khan has appointed Sohail Afridi as the new Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Afridi entered the provincial assembly for the first time in 2024 after winning his seat as a Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA).

Gandapur’s Explosive Allegations Against ISI and Pak Army

Back in July, Gandapur held a press conference in which he claimed that when his provincial police launched an operation to capture Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants and free the region from terrorism, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Army’s Military Intelligence (MI) intervened to release the detained terrorists.

He alleged that the agencies informed him that those militants were ISI- and MI-backed assets, regularly used for covert operations.

Fallout and Backlash from Military Establishment

Following these revelations, Gandapur faced severe backlash from Pakistan’s powerful military and intelligence establishment—both long accused of sponsoring terrorism against India and Afghanistan.

However, information later suggested that Gandapur’s relations with the Army and ISI had improved. This became evident after a Pakistani airstrike in Khyber’s Tirah Valley killed more than 30 civilians, and Gandapur refrained from criticising the military or intelligence agencies.

Several exiled PTI leaders accused him of siding with the Army and ISI, claiming he had abandoned Imran Khan and the party’s anti-establishment stance.

Imran Khan Confirms Removal, Facebook Post Deleted

Imran Khan’s decision to remove Gandapur and appoint Sohail Afridi was officially confirmed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle.

Soon after, Gandapur posted a note on his Facebook account accepting Khan’s decision. However, the post has since been deleted, reigniting speculation and debate within Pakistan’s political circles.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: The Nerve Centre of Cross-Border Terrorism

For Pakistan’s Army and ISI, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province continues to function as a major operational base for state-sponsored terrorism against India.

Intelligence inputs and videos in recent weeks have indicated that after the destruction of terror camps during India’s Operation Sindoor, groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Hizbul Mujahideen have relocated their training camps to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with direct support from Pakistan’s military and intelligence agencies.