IMO it's just a classic bad decision by Ashley and not indicative of any long plot / nefarious scheming against Pardew. Ashley isn't that clever; he's about as subtle and politically nimble as a thermonuclear device.
If Ashley wanted Kinnear as manager he wouldn't go through the trouble of hiring him as DoF to pressure/irritate Pardew into eventually, maybe, resigning, he'd just sack Pardew and put Joe in. I'm reasonably sure Ashley drew up Pardew's contract with myriad "outs" that don't involve compensation.