KP-Kabul Talks
On Friday, Imran Khan, the imprisoned founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), expressed strong support for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s proposal for direct negotiations with Afghanistan to address terrorism concerns in the volatile border regions.
Speaking from Adiala Jail, Khan endorsed Gandapur’s initiative, emphasizing that dialogue is crucial for eliminating terrorism.
Imran Khan asserted, “Ali Amin is absolutely right,” during a conversation with journalists, urging that efforts be made to engage with Afghanistan to achieve peace. He stressed that “terrorism cannot be eliminated without dialogue,” underscoring the importance of direct communication with Afghan authorities.
Khan’s support for Gandapur came in the wake of a sharp criticism from Defence Minister Khawaja Asif. Asif had condemned Gandapur’s suggestion of bypassing the federal government and ministries to initiate talks with Kabul on a provincial level, describing it as a direct assault on federal authority.
Asif voiced his disapproval in the National Assembly, arguing that the provincial chief executive should have refrained from making such statements.
When questioned about the appropriateness of a province negotiating directly with another country, while a federal government and Foreign Office are in place, Khan responded that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, being the most affected by terrorism, had legitimate reasons to pursue such measures. He pointedly criticized the previous foreign minister, Bilawal Bhutto, for not addressing Afghanistan during his tenure.
Khan highlighted the significant impact of terrorism on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, noting the substantial losses endured by law enforcement, including the martyrdom of many police officers.
He also expressed concern about the unrest among law enforcement personnel, who he claimed were staging protests due to the dire situation. Khan emphasized the urgency of prioritizing counter-terrorism efforts, warning that failure to control terrorism could cripple the economy.
The former premier also defended Gandapur, clarifying that Gandapur had not specified an immediate departure or set a timeframe for the proposed discussions with Afghanistan.
Khan stressed that Gandapur’s intentions were aligned with national interests, not against them. He reiterated that the provincial chief minister was advocating for the country’s welfare.
Khan’s remarks came in response to Gandapur’s announcement at a Peshawar Bar Council Association event, where Gandapur proposed sending a provincial delegation to Afghanistan to address bilateral issues due to a surge in terrorist attacks affecting the province.
This move was intended to bypass the federal government’s approval process, reflecting the urgency felt at the provincial level.
The federal government has consistently urged the interim Afghan government to prevent its territory from being used by the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups for attacks against Pakistan.
In response to rising terror incidents, the federal cabinet approved Operation Azm-e-Istehkam in June, a national counter-terrorism campaign aimed at combating terrorism.
Additionally, a policy shift was introduced to enforce international laws more rigorously at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border to limit militant and smuggled goods inflow.
The border, established through the 1893 Durand Line agreement between British India and Afghanistan, remains contentious, with Afghanistan disputing its legitimacy.
Pakistan began erecting a fence along the 2,640-kilometer border in 2017 to control cross-border terrorism, a move that has been criticized by Kabul. The border features several crossing points, with Torkham and Chaman being significant for trade and movement, linking Balochistan with Afghanistan’s Kandahar province.
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