PESHAWAR:
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has strongly opposed any military operation within the province, categorically rejecting the distinction between “good” and “bad” Taliban and denouncing the use of “drone strikes’ on its territory.
The provincial government’s announcement came as K-P Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur addressed a media briefing after hosting an in-camera All Parties Conference (APC) at the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar.
The conference was attended by members of the provincial cabinet, MPAs, and representatives of various political parties, including JI, JUI-S, PTI, QWP, and PTI-Parliamentarians, as well as former K-P governors Shaukatullah and Shah Farman.
The participants of the meeting were briefed on the current law and order situation in K-P and the efforts of the provincial government to curb terrorism in the province.
The chief minister noted that the federal authorities and their security forces must protect the borders, while the provincial police are fully capable of combating terrorism within K-P.
“We have been repeatedly saying that there is no room for good or bad Taliban in the province. Individuals carrying weapons under the name of any institution will not be allowed to remain in the province,” he asserted.
“Those supporting good Taliban must immediately expel them from the province. They are the reason the gap between the government, the public and state institutions is widening,” he added.
The APC issued a joint action plan outlining several key points, including an expression of solidarity with the families of terrorism victims.
The conference called for intelligence-based operations (IBOs) to eliminate khawarij and restore long-term peace in the province.
All political parties, tribal elders, public, K-P government, administration, and law enforcement agencies reaffirm their commitment to taking decisive and indiscriminate action for lasting peace and the elimination of terrorism, the joint-action plan read.
Briefing the media on the current law and order situation, the chief minister announced that jirgas are being held in every tribal district and that a grand jirga will be convened in 15 days.
“Operations are not a solution to any problem and have yielded no significant results. (Both the) security forces and civilians have suffered losses as a result of the operations. We are sending a clear message that we will not allow any kind of operation in our province, nor is any such action acceptable to us,” Gandapur said.
“Drone strikes [are also] unacceptable as even terrorists have begun using drones, putting ordinary citizens at risk.”
The chief minister stated that the provincial government would recruit 300 police officers in each tribal district through local tribes to strengthen law enforcement capacity.
The chief minister also took aim at the federal government, stating that promises made under the NFC Award have not been fulfilled. “Our provincial assets belong to the province and cannot be handed over to any other authority.”
He rejected any “federal overreach” through proposed legislation like the Mines and Minerals Bill.
Gandapur condemned the imposition of taxes in former FATA and PATA, which he said violates repeated provincial demands. “We do not accept these taxes and will not cooperate with the federal government on their implementation,” he stated.
He further opposed turning the Frontier Constabulary (FC) into a federal force and announced that the province will challenge the move in court, noting that K-P was not consulted on the decision.
Taking a swipe at federal officials, the chief minister said: “(DPM/FM) Ishaq Dar lacks the competence to effectively advocate for this province. (Interior Minister) Mohsin Naqvi only understands cricket and flyovers. He has no knowledge of K-P’s ground realities.”
Gandapur also criticized political parties that boycotted the APC, saying they lack the courage to face the conference’s decisions and are indirectly encouraging chaos and terrorism. However, he maintained that the K-P government remains open to dialogue. “Our doors are still open for them. If they wish to reconvene or renegotiate for the sake of the province, we are ready.”
On Afghanistan, Gandapur said the global community has accepted the Afghan government, and constructive engagement is now needed.
