Peshawar, Mar 22 (PTI) Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Ali Amin Gandapur, has said that negotiating with the Taliban is necessary for establishing lasting peace in the region.
Talking to journalists at an iftar party in Islamabad on Friday evening, Gandapur claimed that he could bring the Taliban to the negotiation table, provided the concerned authorities assigned him this task, as dialogue is the only viable solution.
Gandapur claimed that he had drafted a negotiation plan involving tribal elders from all agencies and sent it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior. However, two and a half months later, he is yet to receive a response, he added.
He asserted that the Taliban would not refuse to negotiate with tribal elders and said that Maulana Fazlur Rehman no longer holds influence over the Taliban.
Gandapur expressed confidence that he could hold discussions with Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada any day but clarified that no contact had been established with the outfit yet.
The chief minister also asserted that no political dialogue could take place without the release of PTI founder Imran Khan, stressing that the country’s political stability was contingent upon the release of the former prime minister.
He insisted that political stability in Pakistan could be achieved only by releasing the PTI founder as conditions were normal before the Imran Khan government was ousted and claimed that terrorism and instability have since escalated.
Gandapur highlighted the importance of public support in combating terrorism, stating that no battle could be won without the people’s backing.
Reiterating the need for negotiations with Afghanistan, Gandapur underlined that Pakistan shares thousands of kilometers of border with Afghanistan.
He criticised opposition to his calls for dialogue, noting that even the previous PDM government had decided to negotiate with the Taliban.
He concluded by emphasising the need for a national dialogue to bring stability and improvement to the country.
Addressing allegations of corruption in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the chief minister dismissed such claims and argued that if corruption was rampant, the province would not have a budget surplus.
He pointed out that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa currently has a surplus of Rs 159 billion, while Punjab is running a deficit of Rs 148 billion. PTI AYZ RHL
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.