Junaid Akbar replaces Gandapur as PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president

Imran Khan, founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), appointed Junaid Akbar as the party’s new president for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Saturday.

Akbar’s appointment follows his election as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), a key parliamentary body with authority over government financial matters, backed by both opposition and government support.

PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja issued a notification for Akbar’s appointment, which replaces Ali Amin Gandapur, the province’s current chief minister. Raja clarified that Gandapur had expressed his desire to step down from the provincial president role.

Imran Khan has also instructed Raja to oversee PTI’s reorganization in Punjab. In a separate directive, the PTI founder advised KP’s chief minister to prioritize addressing issues of terrorism and governance in the province.

Sources indicate that Khan has raised concerns about corruption in KP, and Gandapur has been advised to step away from local politics in Dera Ismail Khan.

Junaid Akbar, who is also a Member of the National Assembly (MNA), assumed the PAC chair, a post that had been vacant since February 2024.