Gandapur’s fall after crossing paths with Imran’s wife and sister

ISLAMABAD: Ali Amin Gandapur’s resignation from CMship is a stark reminder of how perilous it can be for even a powerful figure in PTI to end up on the wrong side of the two women closest to the incarcerated party founder — his wife Bushra Bibi and sister Aleema Khan.

Gandapur announced his resignation as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister on Wednesday after being categorically told by Imran Khan from jail that his time was up. 

The once-fiery PTI stalwart had little political ground left to stand on after a bruising, power struggle with Aleema Khan and an old rift with Bushra Bibi that never truly healed.

Tensions between Gandapur and Bushra Bibi had been simmering since last year, when the PTI leadership decided to lead a protest march to Islamabad’s D-Chowk — a demonstration that later turned bloody.

Gandapur then had advised stopping the rally at Sangjani on security and strategic grounds. But Bushra Bibi overruled him and pushed for the march to continue to the heart of the capital.

“She was determined to reach D-Chowk, and Gandapur’s objections were dismissed,” a senior PTI insider said, adding that was the first visible sign that Gandapur’s authority within the party was challenged by Bushra Bibi, who, despite the CM’s reluctance, had joined the march and led it too.

The fallout deepened when Bushra publicly claimed that she had been “left alone” at D-Chowk during the tense standoff — a statement Gandapur publicly rejected. “I was with her from beginning to end,” he later told reporters. “If she was referring to someone else, that’s her opinion, but I never left.”

Gandapur was also upset with the interference into political matters by Bushra during her stay in Peshawar. Bushra Bibi though, had not much influence on the party leaders; Imran Khan always trusted her the most and respected her views.

The more serious confrontation, however, unfolded recently when Gandapur openly accused Aleema Khan of engineering a rift within PTI and even claimed she was being “facilitated” by Military Intelligence (MI).

In a video statement, Gandapur said he had informed Imran Khan that Aleema was sowing divisions, undermining party unity, and discrediting loyal members through proxy social media campaigns. “Aleema Khan has a big role in dividing the party,” he said. “Instead of uniting us for Khan sahib’s release, she is promoting groupings and is in contact with vloggers spreading disinformation.”

He even alleged that campaigns were underway to position Aleema as the party’s future chairperson. “If you want to elect a chairperson, then go ahead,” he said in his message to Khan. “But do it openly.”

Aleema publicly laughed off the allegations after meeting her brother in Adiala Jail, saying Khan “was amused” by Gandapur’s accusations. But insiders say the damage was done by taking on the one person who still acts as Khan’s primary messenger to the outside world, Gandapur had crossed a red line.

The combined weight of his conflicts with Bushra and Aleema had gradually eroded Gandapur’s standing in the party. If Bushra Bibi’s words had great weight for Imran Khan, Aleema’s influence on the party social media made Gandapur a villain within his own party.

Consequently, some senior PTI figures began to distance themselves from Gandapur, and Khan’s inner circle stopped defending him. “After those remarks against Aleema, there was no way back,” a senior PTI leader said, adding, “He lost the trust of the most influential people around Imran Khan and once that happens, no amount of loyalty can save you.”

Originally published in The News