Ali Amin Gandapur Criticizes Fazlur Rehman Amid Political Talks

Kyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur strongly criticized Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman for his alleged attempts to negotiate support amid Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) protest movement. Gandapur dismissed Fazlur Rehman's political influence, stating that he lacks even a single vote in his own household and claiming that a PTI worker could easily defeat him in elections.

The verbal attack by Gandapur comes in the midst of discussions between PTI and JUI-F to enhance party-level communication, with Asad Qaiser engaging in a conversation with Fazlur Rehman regarding the current political landscape and the formation of a new government. Qaiser emphasized the shared ideological stance of both parties in opposing the February 8 election results and proposed a united platform named “Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Dastoor” for a joint political movement.

Regarding the possibility of collaboration with JUI-F, Gandapur expressed openness to Fazl's support for PTI, citing Imran Khan's willingness to engage with any party for the benefit of Pakistan. Gandapur also criticized the Shehbaz Sharif-led PML-N government, attributing adverse consequences to the previous Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) experiment and cautioning against further political experiments.

In a separate development, PTI leaders including Shibli Faraz and others appeared before an anti-terrorism court in cases related to vandalism during last year's May 9 riots. The court extended bail for Gandapur and Faraz until April 27, with legal proceedings ongoing.