Taliban Talks Are Key to Regional Peace: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Friday advocated negotiations with the Taliban as the sole path to lasting peace in the volatile province, speaking to journalists at an iftar party in Islamabad.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader claimed he could bring the Taliban to the table if tasked by authorities, asserting dialogue trumps military alternatives.

Gandapur revealed he drafted a negotiation plan involving tribal elders from all agencies, submitting it to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Interior two and a half months ago—yet no response has come. “The Taliban won’t refuse tribal elders,” he said, dismissing Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s influence over the group.

He expressed readiness to engage Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, though no contact has been made.

Linking regional peace to national politics, Gandapur tied stability to PTI founder Imran Khan’s release from jail. “No political dialogue is possible without him—terrorism surged after his ouster,” he claimed, contrasting the calm of Khan’s 2018-2022 tenure with current unrest. He stressed public support as vital to counter-terrorism, noting, “No battle succeeds without the people.”

Highlighting Pakistan’s long Afghan border, Gandapur criticized resistance to his dialogue push, pointing out the previous PDM government’s own Taliban talks.

He called for a national dialogue to stabilize Pakistan, rejecting corruption allegations against his administration. “With a Rs 159 billion surplus—unlike Punjab’s Rs 148 billion deficit—how can corruption thrive?” he argued.

Gandapur’s stance echoes his prior calls, including a December 2024 appeal for federal backing to negotiate with Kabul. As militancy persists, his emphasis on diplomacy over force underscores a contentious strategy to pacify Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.