ECP summons K-P CM in assets case

ECP orders Gandapur to personally appear today for clarification

PESHAWAR:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has summoned Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Tuesday to clarify discrepancies found in his declaration of assets and liabilities submitted for the general elections of 2024.

The ECP has instructed the chief minister to personally appear on Tuesday and provide clarification regarding his assets.

The petition, filed by Muhammad Kafeel, alleges that Mr Gandapur wrongfully claimed ownership of 735 kanals of land in the Kulachi tehsil of Dera Ismail Khan district.

According to Mr Kafeel, the land, temporarily transferred to Mr Gandapur, rightfully belongs to Asif Khan. Documents suggest Mr Gandapur acknowledged his role as merely a titular owner, with Asif Khan being the true proprietor, Mr Kafeel says in the petition.

Further controversy stems from Mr Gandapur’s 2020 financial declaration, in which he reported purchasing a Toyota Land Cruiser (YB-777) with proceeds from the disputed land sale. Mr Kafeel argues that this act indicates Mr Gandapur’s failure to meet the integrity standards required for his position as an MPA.

Graft cases

The Anti-Corruption Establishment of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has filed over five cases against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, as revealed in a report submitted to the Peshawar High Court (PHC).

According to the report, all five cases have been registered at the anti-corruption police station in the DI Khan Circle. Case numbers 2, 7, 10, 6, and 9 list Ali Amin Gandapur as a respondent.

A report has been forwarded to the relevant court seeking Gandapur's discharge from two cases, while in the remaining three, he remains implicated.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 30^th, 2024.