PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has vowed to take strong disciplinary action against disgruntled leaders within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) who defy party decisions.
Speaking to the media in Peshawar, Gandapur condemned the practice of horse-trading in Senate elections, labeling it a “nefarious action” and stating that such unethical practices should be condemned at all levels.
He further emphasized that under the directives of PTI founder Imran Khan, the party is committed to ensuring transparency and integrity in the Senate election process.
Gandapur’s remarks came after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Senate candidate Waqas Orakzai withdrew his candidacy following a meeting with the CM. Orakzai clarified that his doubts had been resolved, with support from PTI leaders Firdous Shamim Naqvi, Barrister Gohar Salman, and Akram Raja, who confirmed that the list of candidates was approved by Imran Khan.
The CM stressed that PTI had taken significant steps to discourage buying and selling votes in Senate elections, noting that this was the first time in the province’s history such measures had been implemented.
Gandapur further explained that PTI had suffered losses in the previous Punjab Senate elections due to candidates who withdrew their papers, resulting in PTI securing only six seats while the opposition gained five.
He confirmed that the PTI’s alliance with opposition parties was solely for the Senate elections and that the 8-3 formula had been agreed upon.
Gandapur reiterated that all decisions made during the election process were based on the directions given by PTI’s founder, Imran Khan, and promised that the party would not tolerate any deviation from these instructions.
