CM Gandapur says mistrust between establishment, Imran Khan persists

• Gandapur says dialogue started but later fell apart.
• KP CM insists establishment must 'apologise' for 'stolen mandate'.
• "Will urge Imran to sit with other political parties," says Gandapur. 

In a rare insight into backdoor dialogue, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur claimed that mistrust between the establishment and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan stemmed from past incidents, saying that although he took the initiative to start a negotiation process, the effort was later abandoned.

"A time will come when everyone will realise that sitting together for the country’s sake is unavoidable," the provincial chief executive said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad.

The 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician has been behind bars since August 2023 after he was booked in multiple cases ranging from corruption to terrorism since his ouster from power via the opposition's no-trust motion in April 2022.

Calling for political reconciliation today, Gandapur urged all sides to “move beyond demands for apologies and egos”, arguing that progress was only possible if the past was left behind.

"An apology is sought only by those who have done wrong," he said, adding that the establishment, which "stole our mandate and filed false cases against us", should be the one apologising.

The chief minister pointed out that he had not been allowed to meet the party founder since April 2. "If I get the chance to meet him, I will urge him to sit with other political parties once, as it could bring improvements for the country,” he said.

He admitted, however, that Khan believed other parties were "thieves and looters" and was unwilling to engage with them.

Reflecting on past negotiations, Gandapur said there were offers on the table from the establishment that he could not disclose, but that he had delivered messages between both sides.

“Sometimes you are pushed to the front to take action, sometimes we are,” he remarked, adding that if something happened in 2018, “that too was wrong”.

He criticised the role of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, claiming he had “no relevance left” in national politics. Gandapur said some "foolish" party members had been visiting him unnecessarily, while even the PML-N and PPP now preferred coalition governments without him.

“Whenever Maulana is part of a government, he blackmails it to get his demands met,” he claimed.

On governance, Gandapur said the army had never interfered in his administrative work, nor recommended transfers or postings in the province. He stressed that PTI’s policy was for every institution in Pakistan to function within its constitutional domain.

'Presidential system'

He also commented on the PTI founder’s political vision, saying he was in favour of a presidential system and would achieve a "clean sweep" under it. “It is true that the current system is not working for us,” Gandapur added.

He also criticised the existing Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), saying its model needed reform. He proposed that the federal government allocate the province’s BISP budget to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for two years, pledging to help people establish businesses worth Rs500,000 each.

"Why is it that families receiving BISP assistance remain stuck in the same place? Why are their numbers not decreasing, and why are they not becoming self-reliant?” he asked. "Do not make people dependent on rations; stand them on their own feet, and your burden will reduce," he said.

Discussing development, Gandapur said his government planned to build two dams in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He questioned water management in Sindh, asking why the province repeatedly suffered flooding.

"If Sindh thinks it will remain thirsty, then let us sit together and decide. We can even give Sindh a greater share from our own water," he said, but accused Sindh’s politicians of being driven by self-serving politics.

'Kalabagh Dam'

Meanwhile, the KP chief minister reiterated his support for the construction of the Kalabagh Dam, stressing that Pakistan urgently needs the project for its future water and energy security. He called for a national dialogue to build consensus among provinces and assured that their reservations could be addressed.

Gandapur said he firmly believes the Kalabagh Dam must be built and that the matter should be viewed in the interest of the state rather than politics. “Pakistan needs the Kalabagh Dam. Smaller dams cannot serve as an alternative,” he stated.

The chief minister urged the federal and provincial leadership to initiate a national debate on the project, calling upon the media to play its role in creating consensus.

On broader governance issues, Gandapur said he personally supports the creation of more provinces, but only if they can sustain themselves financially. He argued that the current provincial system functions like “a monarchy,” where millions of citizens, thousands of schools, and vast administrative needs are left under one chief secretary and secretary.