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

In a video statement, 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 [during my meeting with him yesterday].”

He said that 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 campaigns.”

He said he had also been accused of applying 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.

He alleged that campaigns were being carried out to declare Aleema the chairperson of the party. Gandapur said he told Imran that the party was being harmed by these campaigns and agendas.

“If you (Imran) want to elect a chairperson then go ahead … whoever you nominate will be acceptable but do it,” he said, referring to his conversation with Imran.

Gandapur said that petty issues were being created within the party and no work was being done on getting Imran out of jail. He alleged that instead of standing united, “our trajectory is such that complies with the objectives of the institutions and establishment, and Aleema is playing a direct role in this”.

“I clearly told him that institutions are working to weaken us … I told him that the MI was facilitating Aleema Khan in this process, according to my knowledge … It is supporting Aleema Khan in weakening us.”

Gandapur’s statement came after Aleema spoke to the media outside the Adiala Jail, where Imran is incarcerated, earlier in the day.

During the interaction, Aleema was asked about Gandapur’s meeting with Imran. To that, she said the KP CM had alleged during the meeting that she was working with the MI, was behind “all” the attacks directed towards Gandapur on social media and that she wanted to become the PTI chairperson.

According to Aleema Imran shared with us. “He was laughing while telling us.”

“Remember that Imran Khan is PTI’s chairman. Only he is the chairman and no one else,” she asserted. “We will do everything for Imran Khan, we will tolerate everything for him. But we will not leave him [alone] no matter what they do.”

She maintained that Imran conveyed his messages to the outside world through his family only when a party member was not available. “He also specifies what has to be told publicly and what privately.”