Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur accused PTI founder Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan on Tuesday of creating a divide in the party and alleged that she was being facilitated by the Military Intelligence and “establishment”.

In a video statement released on Tuesday, Gandapur said: “Imran Khan is my leader, I am loyal to him. It is my right to convey the truth to him … I made him aware of all that has been happening.”

He said initially he was not being given the permission to meet Imran in jail and his messages were conveyed to the public only through his sisters.

“So there is a big divide in the party now,” he continued.

Gandapur said his provincial government had presented KP’s budget as otherwise the PTI government would have been “disqualified”. And since there were no instructions from Imran to the effect of not presenting the budget, it was presented, he added.

“But after that, campaigns that were launched declaring me and parliament traitors were highly inappropriate. And we repeatedly asked [Imran’s] sisters to bring some clarity on it but to no avail. So an impression was created that we were going against you (Imran). But it was not the case.

“And when the time came to pass the budget, the situation was same. They were not allowing us to meet (Imran). Mirza Saif was eventually able to meet him after great difficulty in which Khan sahib was informed of the situation … We eventually passed the budget after making it clear to Khan sahib that he could make any changes he wanted.”

Gandapur also claimed that he had told Imran that he had the authority to stop them from passing the budget and they would comply.

“But my MPAs and party members were accused that we committed treachery passing this budget … They are running these campaign.”

He said he had also been accused of apply the “minus Imran Khan” formula. “But I [told Imran] that nobody could think or have the courage to do so.”

The KP CM added that he had conveyed to the party founder that “Aleema Khan had a big role in dividing the party. Because some party members are being discredited. And the party is losing hope. That steps were not being taken for your release. Instead there is groupism in party, which some people are using to serve their own interests”.

He further alleged that Aleema was in contact with “vloggers” working to create divide in the party. “And instead of stopping them … she is provoking them. And Hafeezullah Niazi sahib refers to Aleema Khan as the prime minister in his articles. He writes that she should become the party chairperson,” he alleged.

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