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• CM says provincial jirga ready, waiting for approval of TORs to kick off dialogue
• Gandapur meets Afghan envoy, says border closure not in either side’s interest
• Barrister Saif vows to ensure dialogue is aligned with security, foreign policies
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Sunday claimed that a provincial jirga has been formed to hold talks with the interim Afghanistan government led by the Afghan Taliban, and the negotiations will kick off following the approval of its ‘terms of reference’ by the federal government.
In a meeting with Afghan Consul General in Peshawar Hafiz Muhibullah Shakir, CM Gandapur advocated for dialogue to ensure peace in the region.
“Negotiations are effective means for achieving lasting peace in the region. We are waiting for the federal government to approve the terms of reference (TOR) for the jirga,” the chief minister told the Afghan envoy.
A statement issued by the CM secretariat read that the issues faced by traders and people on both sides of the border were discussed during the meeting, and it was agreed that efforts would be made for opening the border. “Closure of the border is not in the interest of the people on both sides,” the statement quoted CM Gandapur as saying.
In a meeting on Feb 15, CM Gandapur emphasised the need for a government-level dialogue with Afghanistan to ensure peace. The meeting had also proposed the formation of a jirga to facilitate the process. The KP government had subsequently released terms of reference for holding talks with the interim Afghan government using ‘tribal diplomacy’ to address cross-border concerns.
At the time, Barrister Saif, who is the focal person for this initiative, said a mechanism would be developed to ensure safe cross-border movement of people for medical purposes and business, and strengthen cultural and social exchange programmes among communities.
He had said that the mechanism would be implemented in two phases. “We [KP] will formally inform the federal government about the initiative and ensure that the entire process is aligned with security and foreign policies,” he said.
Awaiting approval of TORs
After more than two weeks since the first announcement, the KP government has asked the federal government to approve the terms of reference without any delay because it wanted to send a delegation to Kabul for talks. The KP government spokesperson, Barrister Saif, asked the federal government to refrain from delaying approval of the TORs.
He told Dawn that the province was ‘astonished’ by the delay in Centre’s response. “You should ask this from Islamabad,” he said in response to a query about the delay in the approval of ToRs.
He said neither the federal government engaged itself with the Afghan Taliban nor was it allowing the KP government to hold talks.
In a statement issued by his office on Sunday, Barrister Saif asked if Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz Sharifcould engage in ‘smog diplomacy’ with India, then why could the KP government not talk to Afghanistan to end militancy.
Sources said the initiative was meant to utilise tribal diplomacy to discuss mutual concerns, especially regarding peace, security, cross-border trade, and economic cooperation. The first phase of talks would begin with a visit from a relatively smaller group to Kabul, including tribal, political and religious leadership, along with representatives of the business community and a security official for liaison.
They said that the proposed “foundation-laying visit” would be a confidence-building measure, with the objective of encouraging negotiations for peace, mainly to address the cross-border security issues. The sources said the exercise was meant to dissuade militant organisations from using Afghan territory for attacks in Pakistan and seek cooperation in monitoring and preventing the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and other terrorist groups’ movements across the border.
They said the second phase would begin with the main delegation to engage with the Afghan tribal elders and government representatives for discussions on security, cross-border cooperation, trade, and issues of the Afghan refugees living in Pakistan.
Sources said all moves would be made keeping in view Pakistan’s interests. They said that the matter was discussed with the army chief on Jan 14, with CM Gandapur suggesting the use of the jirga, which is already in place in KP.
Sources, however, said the provincial government would ensure that the process is aligned with the country’s national, foreign, and security policies. “There won’t be any commitment against the national security framework,” a source said, adding that the provincial government would share the documents with the federal authorities before any step was taken in order to ensure transparency.
It may be noted that a similar proposal by the KP government in September last year had attracted flak from ruling party lawmakers. CM Gandapur had suggested that he, as the leader of the province, would personally engage in talks with Afghanistan. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif criticised the statement about holding one-on-one dialogue with Afghanistan, calling it a “direct attack on the federation”.
Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2025
