Pakistan’s jailed opposition leader Imran Khan has called for direct negotiations with the Afghan Taliban, instructing the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to travel to Kabul for talks.
In a message posted Monday on his party's official account, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader accused the country’s army chief of pursuing “short-sighted policies” and undermining his party’s peace efforts. His directive comes amid a surge in deadly attacks in Pakistan’s border regions.
Khan tasked Gandapur, one of the few PTI officials still in office, with leading the negotiations, a role traditionally held by Pakistan’s federal government. Many other PTI leaders have been arrested or removed from their posts.
Pakistani media described Khan’s order as a significant political and diplomatic shift. The former prime minister has long advocated dialogue with the Afghan Taliban and previously dismissed Pakistani military strikes on Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) bases across the border as “foolish.”
Khan said earlier that Pakistan launches operations against the TTP, and they escape into Afghanistan. He stressed that without the support of the Afghan Taliban, one cannot succeed in these operations.
Faiz Hameed, the former ISI chief, was the first senior Pakistani official to visit Kabul after the Taliban returned to power in 2021 during Khan’s premiership. His visit coincided with the announcement of the Taliban’s interim cabinet, leading to his being described as one of its architects.
Gandapur has repeatedly sought authority to negotiate directly with the Afghan Taliban, but federal officials have blocked the move, insisting talks must be handled by Islamabad. In March, Gandapur said the Afghan Taliban had agreed to security discussions and formed a committee, but the federal government withheld cooperation.
The provincial government has argued that dialogue with the Afghan Taliban is essential to counter terrorism in border areas. In April, Gandapur asked the federal government to grant him official responsibility for talks and said he would meet Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada if authorised.
He maintains that negotiations with the Afghan Taliban are the only viable path to peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
