Posts from multiple users on social media platform X on Thursday claimed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur removed Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif as his information adviser and shared an alleged notification of the decision. However, the viral notification is fake and no such development has occurred.

A standoff currently persists between the federal government and the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM). The federal government proscribed the group on Sunday and outlawed any of its gatherings. However, the group has vowed to go ahead with a large-scale event in Khyber district from Oct 11-13.

The PTI had condemned the ban and the KP Assembly also criticised the police’s action against PTM activists in Khyber district. According to a KP Assembly member from ANP, the clash allegedly resulted in three deaths on Oct 9.

Amid the situation, Barrister Saif released a video message endorsing the federal government’s stance, saying that the proscribed organisation could not hold its meeting in Khyber as the district administration had imposed a ban on gatherings under Section 144.

Soon after the KP government spokesperson’s video message, multiple posts proliferated on X in the early hours of Thursday, claiming that CM Gandapur had relieved Saif of his duties.

Journalist Shakir Mehmood Awan made a post on X with the caption: “How did you like the decision? KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur dismissed Barrister Saif from the post of information adviser.”

The post gained over 63,000 views and was reshared 1,900 times.

The same claim was also shared by PTI member and former Punjab government spokesperson Shahzad Younas Sheikh, gaining 47,000 views.

PTI supporters and others also widely shared the claim, as can be seen here, here, here and here, with a total of over 80,000 views.

Along with this, many other users, as can be seen here, here, here and here from many more, were sharing an alleged notification of his removal.

The alleged notification cited the reason for his removal as: “The statement was issued without informing the chief minister.”

It did not explain which statement it was referring to but the social media posts observed were linking it to Barrister Saif’s video message regarding the PTM.

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its high virality, the public’s keen interest in the PTM’s gathering, as well as the PTI’s stance on the issue and because some users disputed the alleged notification and removal.

Contacting the authorities for corroboration, KP Information and Public Relations Director General Muhammad Imran told Dawn’s senior political correspondent Arif Hayat: “Notification circulating in WhatsApp groups regarding removal of Barrister Saif as adviser to CM on information is fake.”

Therefore, the fact-check determined that the claim that CM Gandapur has removed Barrister Saif as his information adviser, along with a viral notification of the alleged action, is false.

No such development has occurred and the alleged notification is fake, as confirmed by a KP government official.

This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan — a project of CEJ and UNDP.