Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi following Pakistan’s defeats to India in the ongoing Asia Cup.
Gandapur accused Naqvi of mismanagement and failure, claiming his leadership was damaging cricket just as it had harmed other institutions. He said that a Pakistan-India clash was no ordinary game, describing it as “no less than a war,” and insisted that had the PCB chairman focused properly on the team, Pakistan would not be repeatedly losing such crucial matches.
Blaming Naqvi directly for the decline of Pakistan cricket, Gandapur remarked that he had already destroyed other departments and was now doing the same with the sport.
His comments reflected growing frustration among fans and political figures over Pakistan’s repeated failures in high-stakes matches against India.
Turning to political matters, Gandapur also spoke about the legal cases against him, saying that after the 26th Constitutional Amendment, courts had come under pressure and cases based on “fake FIRs and baseless charges” were being pursued against him. He stressed that he and his party were fighting for the rule of law in Pakistan.
Announcing his intention to hold a large public rally soon, he said it would demonstrate the nation’s support for the PTI founder and called on state institutions to operate within constitutional boundaries.
On foreign relations, Gandapur highlighted the sacrifices made by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the fight against terrorism, noting that over 80,000 lives had been lost. He reiterated that PTI’s policy was always based on dialogue, especially in dealings with Afghanistan.
Criticising the federal government’s approach, he said KP would provide names for a delegation to Afghanistan as requested but insisted that military operations had failed in the past. Condemning the recent loss of lives in Tirah Valley, he called for ensuring that no collateral damage occurs during counter-terrorism operations.
