Gohar says Sohail Afridi will continue as KP chief minister

PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said on Friday that Sohail Afridi will remain the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, rejecting reports circulating on social media about his possible removal.

Speaking in Peshawar, Gohar said Afridi has the full backing of the party leadership. He said the chief minister had been nominated for the post by jailed PTI founder Imran Khan and added that he was carrying out his responsibilities effectively.

According to Gohar, Afridi’s performance in office reflects well on the party’s governance in the province. He described the claims regarding the chief minister’s removal as unfounded and said they were part of an unsuccessful campaign against him.

“Those running a campaign against Sohail Afridi will face disappointment and failure,” he said.

Gohar also said Afridi could not be disqualified and rejected suggestions of internal divisions within PTI. He maintained that there was no forward bloc in the party and reiterated that the leadership stood firmly behind the chief minister.

Party tensions and rally postponement

The statement came days after criticism from Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan, who in a recent media talk sharply criticised the party leadership, including the chairman and the secretary general. She said they were not doing enough regarding the PTI protest movement and her brother’s health.

She also strongly objected to the postponement of the party’s public meeting that had been scheduled for April 9, the date on which the PTI government was removed in 2022 through a no-confidence motion.

Separately, PTI Secretary General Barrister Salman Akram Raja also rejected reports of rifts within the party leadership while defending the decision to postpone the April 9 public gathering.

He said the delay was a strategic decision aimed at avoiding disruption to international diplomatic engagements. He further said that PTI founding chairman Imran Khan had conveyed instructions to postpone the event through his lawyer, Salman Safdar.

Gohar’s remarks in Peshawar sought to put to rest speculation over Afridi’s future as chief minister and to underline the party leadership’s support for him amid the ongoing discussion within PTI over strategy, public mobilisation and internal criticism.