The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has stirred controversy by issuing a notice to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur following a petition filed against him, alleging misleading information about a piece of land. The petition, heard by a two-member ECP bench, has raised questions about Gandapur’s eligibility to hold office based on discrepancies regarding property ownership.
The petitioner, Muhammad Kafeel, alleges that a significant parcel of land in Mouzah Girah Muhabbat and Muzah Rohri, Kulachi, District DI Khan, was temporarily transferred to Gandapur while Asif Khan remained the rightful owner. According to the petitioner, Gandapur was obligated to return the land upon demand by Khan, but failed to do so.
Furthermore, the petition highlights Gandapur’s purported misrepresentation in liabilities forms for the year 2020, where he allegedly claimed to have purchased a Toyota Land Cruiser using funds from the sale of the disputed land. Such alleged discrepancies, the petitioner argues, render Gandapur unqualified to hold the office of Chief Minister.
The ECP bench, comprising Sindh Member Nisar Ahmad Durrani and Balochistan Member Shah Muhammad Jatoi, has decided to issue a notice to Gandapur for a hearing scheduled on March 26. The bench has indicated that preliminary arguments need to be further scrutinized on merits before reaching a decision.
Gandapur, who was elected as a member of the KP Assembly from PK-113, DI Khan, in the recent general elections as an independent candidate backed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), subsequently assumed the position of Chief Minister. The decision to issue a notice by the ECP has added fuel to the ongoing debate surrounding Gandapur’s eligibility and the transparency of electoral processes in the region.
