Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur. Photo: SCREENSHOT
PESHAWAR:
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Police on Wednesday clarified that no security personnel had been withdrawn from former Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, denying reports circulating about changes in its protection arrangements.
In a statement, police officials said the deployment provided to the former chief minister remained intact and no reduction had been made in his security detail.
According to officials, Gandapur currently has a total of 77 personnel. Among them, 58 police security personnel are deployed at his residence, while 12 members of the Reserve Border Police (FRP) are also on duty. Besides, seven police officers from Dera Ismail Khan are posted at the bungalow.
Police said security measures were continuing as usual and the impression of a staff withdrawal was incorrect. They added that details of deployed personnel have been made public to dispel speculation and confirm all measures remain in place.
Meanwhile, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Wednesday said the issue of security withdrawal from Gandapur had been “unnecessarily” exaggerated, terming it a “non-issue”.
In a statement, the top provincial official said the government remained focused on freeing the party’s founding president Imran Khan.
Afridi reiterated that no instructions had been given to withdraw security from Gandapur, adding that the issue was being “unnecessarily politicized”.
He said the government was engaged in what he described as a struggle for “real freedom” and that all its attention remained focused on efforts related to party leadership.
After reports emerged of the alleged withdrawal of his security personnel, an audio message attributed to Gandapur was released in which he claimed to have been informed that the deputy security chief had ordered the withdrawal of all police personnel deployed for his protection.
