December 5, 2024
Pakistan

Ali Amin Gandapur: Why is the embattled politician PTI’s top choice for KP CM-ship?

Ali Amin Gandapur: Why is the embattled politician PTI's top choice for KP CM-ship?

The Imran-founded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which once again emerged as a major party in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in the February 8 nationwide polls, has named Ali Amin Gandapur, its firebrand stalwart for the chief minister’s slot.

Gandapur was born in 1978 to a Dera Ismail Khan family with a military and political background. His father, the late Major (retd) Aminullah Gandapur, served as a caretaker cabinet member in the dictatorial government of the former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf.

He started his political career with the Imran-founded party in 2007 and rose to the position of the regional president of the party’s south KP chapter after the 2013 intra-party elections.

Gandapur received his early education from Saint Helen’s Public School in his hometown, while he matriculated from Police Public School — Peshawar.

He did his intermediate from Government College University (GCU) Lahore and graduated from the National College of Arts, Lahore. His major was fashion design.

The designated chief minister was a Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) in KP from 2013 to 2018 and rendered his services as the Provincial Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for Revenue and Estate after being inducted into then-CM Pervez Khattak-led cabinet.

This image shows the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Founder Chairman Imran Khan (R) along with Former Member of the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur. — AFP/File
This image shows the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Founder Chairman Imran Khan (R) along with Former Member of the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur. — AFP/File
The PTI stalwart was elected Member of the National Assembly (MNA) in the 2018 general elections, in which his party formed the government in the Centre on top of strengthening its political position in Punjab.

He was given the portfolio of Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan on October 5, 2018.

Gandapur is more popular than his three politician brothers, although, his entire family is considered highly politically active in the Gandapur tribe of Pashtuns.

The firebrand politician, who is famous for his impassioned speeches, has always stood by Imran Khan through rain and sunshine, whether it was Azad March — Islamabad or Zaman Park — Lahore.

He went into hiding after several cases were lodged against him in the aftermath of the May 9, 2023 riots that erupted following the PTI founder’s arrest last year. He came back into the political picture after the demise of his father on February 12, 2024.

The politician also contested the 2024 general elections as a PTI-backed independent candidate amid tough times after the Imran-founded party lost its legal battle to keep its iconic “bat” electoral symbol and its top leaders were put behind bars in a plethora of cases.

Citing a big political dent after May 9’s violent incidents, Gandapur, after filing his nomination papers, urged a thorough inquiry into the riots, demanding answers as to why the PTI supporters were not stopped during the violent protests.

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