Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur stated that the establishment contacted him to postpone the rally scheduled for August 22 in Islamabad and that he also refused to speak with PTI founder Imran Khan over the phone.
In an interview, Ali Amin Gandapur mentioned that the establishment reached out to him at his level, not at a lower level. He emphasized that as Chief Minister, the contact was made at an appropriate level.
He said that he refused to postpone the rally and declined to have a phone conversation with Imran Khan, suggesting instead that either Imran Khan should come to him or they should have a video call.
It is noted that PTI had announced a rally in Islamabad for August 22. However, on the morning of August 22, Azam Swati, along with PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali, announced the postponement of the rally, which led to significant anger among party workers. Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, also criticized PTI leaders over the issue.
On the other hand, in a discussion on Geo News’ program “Naya Pakistan,” PML-N leader Aqeel Malik stated that the government had contacted Ali Amin Gandapur officially due to security concerns. The government informed Gandapur about the situation and requested him to cancel the rally. Following this, Gandapur contacted Imran Khan, who then met with party leaders the next day to reassess the security situation.
