Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur announced on Wednesday that the Afghan Taliban have agreed to engage in negotiations on security issues, with a committee established to facilitate the process.
However, he accused Pakistan’s federal government of failing to cooperate with the provincial administration on the matter.
Speaking at a press conference at the Peshawar High Court, the senior Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government official revealed that the provincial administration had submitted Terms of Reference (TORs) for talks with Afghanistan to the federal government but had received no response despite multiple reminders.
“We have sent the TORs for talks with Afghanistan to the federal government, but despite repeated reminders, no response has been received. Terrorism is not just an issue for our province but for the entire country,” the official stated, as quoted by The News International.
Call for Dialogue Amid Rising Terrorism
Gandapur stressed that dialogue with the Afghan Taliban is the only viable solution to counter terrorism in Pakistan. He urged the federal government to take the security crisis seriously and respond to the proposals submitted by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government. He warned that if terrorism in the province is not effectively addressed, it could soon spread across the country.
Over the past year, both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan have witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks. In response, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administration has repeatedly called for negotiations with the Afghan Taliban.
Political Divide Over Engagement with the Taliban
Currently, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is governed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, while the federal government is controlled by opposition parties. The PTI-led provincial government has historically favoured engagement with both the Afghan Taliban and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). However, Pakistan’s federal government and military firmly oppose granting any concessions to the Taliban, particularly the TTP.
The primary obstacle in past negotiations between the Pakistani government and the TTP has been the militants’ demands. While the government insists on the surrender of the TTP, the group demands control over parts of the tribal areas and the implementation of Sharia law. Previous negotiations, facilitated by the Afghan Taliban, were held in Kabul in 2022 but ultimately failed due to these irreconcilable differences.
