File photo of Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur
AFP
- Gandapur led a convoy to Islamabad, facing police shelling on the motorway, and eventually disappeared from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House.
- Mobile services in Islamabad and Rawalpindi were partially restored after two days of disruption following the PTI protest, with some road blockades being removed.
In a press conference held on Sunday after the funeral prayers of a policeman who allegedly died due to injuries inflicted by protesters, Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said that the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Ali Amin Gandapur was not in the custody of any institution of the country.
He further said that during a raid on KP House, the chief minister had “escaped” through the front door. "We have evidence of CM KP fleeing during the raid," Naqvi added.
Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi during a press conference in the red zone in Islamabad. Oct. 07 2024Nukta
Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur was leading a call by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan for party workers to stage a protest at D-Chowk, situated in the Red Zone.
The Red Zone houses key institutions such as parliament house, the senate, and the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the main opposition party, is demanding Imran’s release from prison and has warned the government against passing its proposed constitutional amendments and legal reforms.
Chief minister of Pakistan's militant-hit northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gandapur is a key aide of Imran Khan.
Clashes between police and protesters began on Friday and continued late in to Saturday. One policeman has died of injuries allegedly sustained during the skirmishes.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has meanwhile condemned the disappearance of Ali Amin Gandapur, labeling it as a "false flag operation", demanded his immediate recovery and release.
In a statement, PTI's central information secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said, "The enforced disappearance of the province's elected Chief Minister is highly shameful, provocative, dictatorial, and disastrous for the federation of Pakistan.
Gandapur's movements until Saturday
CM Gandapur left Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday, leading a convoy of around 100 vehicles, according to Nukta's Islamabad Editor Amir Saeed Abbasi.
"PTI's convoy from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa faced police shelling on the motorway throughout the night. Even though the police had made thorough arrangements to block the PTI convoys, but Ali Amin Gandapur entered Islamabad via Margalla Avenue.
The police only realized it when Ali Amin Gandapur was addressing the workers on Jinnah Avenue in front of D-Chowk. He said, "We had announced our arrival at D-Chowk, and now we are here. We are peaceful and will remain peaceful."
Fearing arrest, Ali Amin Gandapur went to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House. In an unusual move, Rangers and Islamabad Police entered Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House, and fired tear gas, but Ali Amin Gandapur disappeared."
Funeral prayers at D-Chowk for policeman who died performing security duties Nukta
Symbolic funeral prayers for policeman
In a symbolic move, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi led funeral prayers for policeman Abdul Hameed Shah at D-chowk.
The capital city police claim Abdul Hameed Shah succumbed to injuries after being abducted and tortured by PTI protesters.
Secretary Interior Khurram Agha, Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Kundi, Inspector General Islamabad Ali Rizvi and Commissioner Islamabad Ali Randhawa attended the funeral prayers.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has so far not commented on the death of policeman Abdul Hameed Shah.
Easing up of internet shutdown and road blockades
Mobile services in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, and the nearby city of Rawalpindi were restored on Sunday after two days of disruption following a protest called by former prime minister Imran Khan, as life began returning to normal.
However, on Saturday, a high court ordered the federal government to provide PTI protesters with proper space for their demonstration.
According to local media, Rawalpindi’s deputy commissioner confirmed that traffic was flowing again in the garrison city, with roadblocks and containers removed. Both tracks of Murree Road, one of the city’s main thoroughfares, were reopened along with nearby streets, allowing smoother movement.
However, Murree Road at Faizabad, a critical link between Rawalpindi and Islamabad, remains closed. The Islamabad administration controls the road’s reopening, with decisions pending on when the route will be fully accessible. Entrances and exits between the two cities remain closed, hampering traffic flow.
Mobile services, including 4G internet, were suspended early Friday amid security concerns surrounding the PTI protests. While service has been restored in most areas, connectivity remains unstable in parts of Islamabad, including D-Chowk, where police and security forces are stationed.
Supporters and activists of former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, gather as they shout slogans during a protest in Islamabad on October 4, 2024.
AFP
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