Ali Amin Gandapur confirms security removal, calls move ‘unjustified

PESHAWAR: Former Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has reacted to the withdrawal of his security detail, calling the move “unjustified” despite ongoing threat alerts in the sensitive Dera Ismail Khan region, ARY News reported.

Late last night, the entire 16-member security squad assigned to Ali Amin Gandapur was recalled. The team included two jammer operators, eight gunmen, and six drivers, all attached to the provincial police and working in shifts. Two officers had been assigned to the security of Gandapur’s brother, MNA Faisal Amin Gandapur, while the remaining 14 personnel were responsible for protecting the former CM himself.

Official sources confirmed that the decision was taken on the instructions of the current Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, with the Chief Security Officer Irfan Baloch directed to close the security deployment. The withdrawal was implemented within minutes.

Ali Amin Gandapur React

Speaking exclusively to ARY News, Ali Amin Gandapur confirmed the security removal and expressed serious concern over the move. He said that his previous security setup, which included 14 staff members, two double-cabin vehicles, and a jammer, was essential given that Dera Ismail Khan is a high-risk area with active threat alerts.

These alerts, he explained, had been issued due to counter-terrorism policies applicable to a former Chief Minister.

Ali Amin Gandapur added that even after accounting for these risks, the provincial government had withdrawn his security. Upon inquiring, he was informed that the orders had come directly from the Chief Minister’s office.

He further remarked that if vehicles were short at the CM House, he could even provide his own, but made it clear that if security or vehicles were offered again, he would refuse them, describing the withdrawal as unjustified despite his party being in government in the province.

This development comes just days after the transfer of District Police Officer Sajjad Ahmed Sahbzada, with reports of other key district-level administrative changes circulating. Political analysts say that these administrative moves and the security withdrawal cannot be viewed separately from the broader provincial political landscape.