Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has returned to Peshawar after being untraceable for hours, raising concerns amidst an ongoing crackdown against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders. The Chief Minister’s absence followed allegations of law violations linked to the PTI’s rally in Islamabad. Sources from *Geo News* confirmed Gandapur’s arrival in Peshawar on Tuesday.
Shahid Khattak, a PTI member of the National Assembly, revealed that Gandapur had been in Islamabad, engaged in meetings, including long discussions with government officials on the province’s law and order situation. The inability to reach Gandapur was attributed to mobile phone jammers in the area where the meetings were held.
PTI raised alarms earlier when the Chief Minister could not be contacted for over eight hours. The party feared that Gandapur might have been arrested by federal authorities, especially following a statement from Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, KP CM’s Adviser on Information. Saif voiced concerns about the federal government’s involvement, stating Gandapur was unreachable since 6 PM the previous day and possibly in custody.
The incident unfolded as the federal government, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, intensified its crackdown on PTI leadership following violations of the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill, 2024. Among those arrested were PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan and lawmaker Sher Afzal Marwat, along with several other party members including Zain Qureshi, Sheikh Waqas Akram, and Zubair Khan.
The police have filed cases against several leaders under the new law at Islamabad’s Noon Village and Sangjani police stations. PTI workers allegedly attacked police forces attempting to prevent the rally from deviating from its designated route, leading to clashes where law enforcement officers were pelted with stones and struck with batons.
The political tension continues to escalate as more party members are under investigation, further deepening the rift between PTI and the ruling government.