The imprisoned former Prime Minister states he does not endorse the actions of the KP Chief Minister, despite previously claiming ignorance on the issue.
On Thursday, imprisoned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan expressed his disapproval of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s offensive remarks about journalists, labeling them as “inappropriate.”
During a major PTI rally in Islamabad on September 8, Gandapur made disparaging comments about journalists, accusing them of waging a campaign against PTI and urging party workers to expose and confront them.
Imran Khan, in a statement, criticized Gandapur’s behavior, saying, “Ali Amin Gandapur should not have made such remarks about journalists.” He further clarified, “I do not support Ali Amin Gandapur’s comments about the journalists,” acknowledging the difficult conditions under which journalists operate in Pakistan and praising their efforts as a form of “jihad.”
Earlier, when questioned by journalists at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail about Gandapur’s comments, Imran Khan had claimed ignorance of the situation. This response led some to question how he could be unaware of significant developments while in jail, given his awareness of other events.
Following Gandapur’s remarks, various rights organizations and media groups demanded an apology and called for PTI to investigate the incident. The Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND) and Aurat Foundation condemned Gandapur’s language, particularly towards female journalists, and urged PTI to hold him accountable. AEMEND described the remarks as unjustifiable given the challenging environment for journalists in Pakistan, while Aurat Foundation accused Gandapur of violating the Cyber Crimes Act 2016 with his threatening and hateful speech.
In response to the backlash, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan later issued an “unconditional apology” for Gandapur’s inappropriate remarks.
