PESHAWAR, Pakistan — The chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, said Thursday that he has asked authorities for permission to engage in peace negotiations with the Taliban in a bid to bring stability to the province.
Speaking to a tribal jirga at the Chief Minister’s House, Gandapur emphasized the importance of dialogue, stating, “If my request is not granted, I, as the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, will personally lead a delegation of tribal elders to Afghanistan for talks with the interim government.” He stressed that peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was closely tied to the security situation in neighboring Afghanistan.
Gandapur also called for a clear policy to combat militancy in the region and announced plans to convene the provincial apex committee to discuss the issue. “No war can be won without the support of the people,” he added, urging Pakistani officials to consult with local communities before initiating any military operations against militant groups.
The chief minister also criticized the federal government, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, for what he described as its failure to deliver on promises of development for the recently merged tribal districts.
Gandapur’s remarks come amid a series of military operations by the Pakistani army targeting the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The Pakistani government has repeatedly accused the TTP of operating from sanctuaries in Afghanistan, a claim that the Afghan Taliban has denied, calling the TTP an internal issue for Pakistan.
