Several social media posts on the platform X surfaced on Thursday, claiming that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had dismissed Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif from his role as information adviser.
These posts also included a purported notification of the decision. However, this document has been confirmed as fake, and no such action has taken place.
The false news spread amid ongoing tensions between the federal government and the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM). The federal authorities recently banned the group and prohibited any of its public gatherings. Despite this, the PTM announced plans for a large event in Khyber district from October 11 to 13.
Barrister Saif had earlier released a video supporting the federal government’s decision, emphasizing that PTM could not hold its gathering in Khyber, as Section 144 had been imposed by the local administration to prevent such assemblies.
Following his statement, various users on X began circulating claims that Saif had been removed from his position, including a post by journalist Shakir Mehmood Awan, which attracted over 63,000 views and was shared nearly 2,000 times.
The fake notification suggested that Saif was dismissed for issuing a statement without the chief minister’s approval. However, after fact-checking, officials clarified that the circulating document is false, and Saif remains in his role.
