He says Naqvi is the only person who dared to speak in front of Field Marshal Asim Munir about Imran’s release
Former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur. Photo: Express News
Former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Monday claimed that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had made more efforts than anyone to secure the release of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan.
Imran, 73, has been imprisoned since August 2023 after convictions that he and the PTI say were politically motivated. Since his ouster in 2022 in a vote of no confidence, he has faced numerous cases, including involving state gifts and an illegal marriage. Some convictions have been suspended or overturned, and appeals are underway. He denies any wrongdoing.
Naqvi has been frequently criticized by Imran and his party amid their tribulations and challenges.
However, during an interview on Nadeem Malik live on a private television channel, Gandapur said: “No one else has made the same level of effort. I have said it before, within the party, and now I am saying it on air: Mohsin Naqvi has made vigorous efforts to resolve the problem. He made more efforts than anyone to ensure the release of Imran Khan.
Gandapur said Naqvi defended Imran even in front of Chief of Defense Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, something “no one else dared to do”. “Naqvi is the only person I have seen who can even get the field marshal to initiate a conversation. But I have not seen anyone else doing that,” the former chief minister claimed.
He further said that PTI was angry with Naqvi for the way he had treated the party, “including me, Imran was angry with him, but now I recognize Naqvi’s role in trying to resolve the issue.”
Gandapur also said he had no further contact with the interior minister and was not holding any official position to discuss the issue.
Last year in October, Gandapur resigned as KP chief minister following the directives of the PTI founder.
Despite his resignation, Gandapur remained a staunch advocate of dialogue regarding Imran’s release. He frequently stressed that any negotiations should only involve those with real decision-making power, making clear that Imran would not engage in talks with people lacking the necessary mandate.
Gandapur is said to have a more cordial relationship with Naqvi than most other PTI members.
