ISLAMABAD: Ali Amin Gandapur, the chief minister of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said on Wednesday he had stepped down on the instructions of party leader and former prime minister Imran Khan, ending weeks of speculation about a leadership change.

The news comes amid mounting criticism of the provincial government’s handling of law and order. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, governed by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party since 2013, has faced a sharp resurgence of militant activity in recent months, with officials reporting record casualties among security forces.

In a statement, Gandapur said he had resigned on Khan’s direction. 

“The position of chief minister was a trust given to me by Imran Khan,” he said. “On his instructions, I am returning that trust to him and submitting my resignation.”

Gandapur’s departure marks a major internal shake-up in Khan’s party, which continues to dominate Khyber Pakhtunkhwa politics despite facing crackdowns and leadership challenges since Khan’s ouster as prime minister in 2022. Khan himself has been in jail since 2023 and faces a slew of legal challenges he says are politically motivated to keep him away from public office.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said Gandapur had been removed by Khan, linking it to the deteriorating security situation in KP.

“It is true, Sohail Afridi will be the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in place of Ali Amin Gandapur,” Raja told reporters.

Afridi is a PTI lawmaker from Khyber district, part of Pakistan’s northwestern tribal belt bordering Afghanistan. A longtime loyalist of Khan, Afridi was elected to the provincial assembly in 2024 and is considered part of PTI’s younger leadership circle. 

He has maintained close ties with the party’s central leadership and has been an advocate for stronger provincial oversight of law and order in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where security forces are battling a resurgence of militant activity. Afridi’s expected elevation is seen within PTI as a move to restore control and stability in the province after months of political friction.

Raja said Gandapur’s removal was linked to the worsening security situation in the province, particularly a deadly assault in Orakzai district in which 11 security personnel, including a lieutenant colonel and a major, were killed during an intelligence-based operation on Wednesday.

“Khan sahib is very sad,” Raja said. “The incident that happened in Orakzai … there is no choice for him now but to do the change.”

Gandapur, a senior PTI figure and former federal minister, had been serving as chief minister since March last year. His tenure was marked by friction with both the federal government and factions within his own party, particularly over administrative control and political appointments. He had also publicly sparred with Aleema Khan, the former premier’s sister, over party influence in the province.