KP CM Gandapur removes Mashal Yousafzai as his special assistant

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has removed his special assistant Mashal Yousafzai from her post, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Saturday.

Mashal Yousafzai, who is also a spokesperson of Bushra Bibi, wife of PTI founder chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan, was appointed to the post just last month. 

There were reports that she was dismissed from her post following following a controversial TV interview. 

The Chief Minister's Secretariat in Peshawar issued an official notification regarding her removal from post.

Following the protest debacle on November 27, the PTI faced intense internal turmoil that saw leaders like Salman Akram Raja and Sahibzada Hamid Raza quit their party positions.

Talking to a private TV channel, Mashal Yousafzai said that she was removed from her role owing to remarks she made during a TV interview.

In the TV interview, Mashal reiterated that Bushra Bibi had been instructed by the PTI founder to proceed to D-Chowk during the Islamabad protest which the PTI described as "do-or-die" for them. "When told to move by the PTI founder, how could she refuse?" she argued.

Bushra Bibi did not want to return from D-Chowk, Mashal said and claimed "But, Bushra's vehicle came under severe attack, with reports of firing and chemical splashes which blurred its windshield.

Resultantly, the PTI founder's wife had to switch her vehicle, Mashal said, adding: "I was separated from her amidst the chaos during this time."

Bushra Bibi's spokesperson said that she was not certain what exactly happened after Bushra changed her vehicle as she got separated from the former first lady.

Mashal also claimed claimed that Bushra Bibi received an "indirect message" from PTI founder to stage a sit-in at Sangjani.

Mashal said Bushra Bibi wanted to confirm Imran Khan's directive regarding Sangjani directly from him.

Reporter Sajid Baloch