Rawalpindi, August 2, 2025: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan has strongly criticised Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur over the deteriorating law and order situation in the province, suggesting that Gandapur should resign if he fails to restore peace.
“If Ali Amin Gandapur cannot restore peace, he should step down,” Imran Khan was quoted as saying by sources during an informal conversation with a private news channel on Saturday.
He reportedly added that if Gandapur is unable to resolve the governance and security challenges, someone else should be given the opportunity to lead the province.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks in recent months, amid a broader wave of violence in the region since the return of the Taliban regime in neighbouring Afghanistan in 2021. A police report cited by the news channel revealed that at least 476 incidents of terrorism were recorded in KP in the first seven months of 2025 alone.
The violence has resulted in 121 civilian deaths and injuries to 301 others. The security forces have also borne the brunt, with 66 police officers martyred and 90 injured. Ten Levies personnel were killed and eight injured, while the Frontier Corps (FC) lost 48 personnel, with 109 others wounded. Additionally, 55 members of other security agencies were martyred and 112 injured.
Meanwhile, sources said Imran Khan’s jail privileges have recently been reinstated. The 71-year-old has been granted access to books and newspapers, and was allowed a one-hour phone call with his children on Friday.
During the conversation, Khan reportedly told jail officials that his sons, Suleiman and Kasim, were welcome to visit him. However, he learned during the call that their National Identity Cards for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOPs) had expired, hindering their travel plans.
Khan, who has been incarcerated since August 2023 in connection with multiple cases — including charges of corruption and terrorism — reiterated that he had never asked his children to travel to Pakistan for political activism.
The issue of Khan’s sons participating in political activities became a point of public debate after his sister, Aleema Khan, announced that Suleiman (28) and Kasim (26) would join the PTI’s upcoming protest scheduled for August, which aims to press for Khan’s release.
Soon after, reports emerged claiming that Khan had barred his sons — who reside in the UK — from travelling to Pakistan or engaging in politics. PTI later denied these claims, insisting that both sons were committed to visiting their father.
Speaking to the media earlier on Saturday, Aleema Khan clarified that the brothers had applied for their NICOPs and visas but had encountered procedural issues. She claimed that despite possessing a tracking number for their NICOP applications, embassy officials said they had not received any such requests.
“A friend called the ambassador and was told that permission must be taken from the Ministry of Interior,” Aleema said, adding, “I told him—then take it from [Interior Minister] Mohsin Naqvi.”
She further noted conflicting information, saying that a day earlier, it was reported the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would be handling the visa matter instead. “Now the ambassador is not responding to any queries,” she added.
Sources further said that Imran Khan also disapproved of Aleema Khan’s recent remarks regarding Mishal Yousafzai possibly becoming a senator. He reportedly described her statements as unnecessary and advised her to avoid making political comments.
