PESHAWAR, Pakistan — The chief minister of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province said Thursday that a jirga, or tribal delegation, would be sent to Afghanistan to address growing security concerns, but only after consulting the federal government.
Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said the province had been deeply affected by instability in Afghanistan, a country that has endured decades of war. His comments came amid rising incidents of violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which Pakistani authorities have linked to militant groups operating across the border, Geo News reported.
Meanwhile, Tribal News Network, a Pakistani media outlet, cited sources saying that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has begun informal discussions with Afghan authorities about a proposed peace jirga between the two countries. However, progress has been delayed as two senior officials of the Taliban-led government are currently on an official visit to Saudi Arabia.
Under the proposed plan, a small delegation—led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Advisor Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif and tribal elders—would travel to Afghanistan for preliminary discussions. Talks are expected to focus on border security, trade relations, and broader cooperation between the two sides. If successful, a larger jirga would be convened, bringing together tribal leaders and government representatives from both countries.
Gandapur emphasized that a formal framework would be developed, and the federal government would be consulted before any delegation is sent to Kabul to ensure broad representation from various tribal groups.
The Pakistani federal government, however, responded to Gandapur’s remarks by asserting that foreign policy and cross-border negotiations fall under the jurisdiction of the central government, not provincial authorities.
