PESHAWAR: Internal differences within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have reportedly intensified, with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government allegedly withholding development funds for Dera Ismail Khan (D.I. Khan), the home district of former Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.
Relations between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and former Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur have reportedly remained strained for some time. According to the report, Gandapur has also blocked Chief Minister Afridi’s phone number.
National Assembly member Faisal Amin Gandapur confirmed that development funds for D.I. Khan had been significantly reduced. He said the latest release by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, amounting to Rs43 billion, allocated only Rs80 million to D.I. Khan.
Faisal Amin Gandapur claimed that development work worth between Rs500 million and Rs600 million or more had already been completed on ongoing projects in the district. However, he said the payments for this completed work remained outstanding as liabilities.
Despite these pending liabilities, he claimed that the projects had been given a zero budget allocation for the 2026-27 financial year.
He further stated that the ASDI project in D.I. Khan had also received no allocation during the current financial year, with its budget allocation standing at zero.
The reported reduction in funding has raised concerns over the continuation of development schemes in the district. If outstanding payments are not released and no additional funds are allocated, contractors and government departments could face difficulties completing ongoing projects.
The controversy has emerged amid reports of political differences between the current and former provincial leadership. Ali Amin Gandapur previously served as chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and remains an important PTI political figure, while Sohail Afridi is currently leading the provincial government.
D.I. Khan is also considered a significant political stronghold for the Gandapur family. Consequently, the reported funding dispute has acquired additional political significance.
Faisal Amin Gandapur’s statement suggests that D.I. Khan received only a small portion of the latest provincial development release. He also questioned the decision to allocate no funds to projects where substantial work had reportedly already been completed.
The issue could lead to further political debate within the PTI and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, particularly as the province moves ahead with implementation of its development programme for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
However, the claim that the reduction in funds is directly linked to political differences has not been independently established. The provincial government’s explanation for the allocations would be required to determine whether the funding decisions were based on political considerations, financial constraints, administrative priorities or other development criteria.
For the moment, the reported dispute reflects broader tensions within the PTI’s provincial structure and raises concerns about the financial status and future of development projects in D.I. Khan.
The coming weeks may provide greater clarity on whether funds will be restored, pending liabilities cleared and development schemes resumed, or whether the dispute will develop into a wider political confrontation within the provincial party leadership.
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