Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has revealed plans to engage the federal government before dispatching a jirga (tribal council) to Afghanistan to address the growing issue of terrorism in the province. In an interview with Geo News, Gandapur highlighted the impact of Afghanistan’s prolonged war on KP, which shares a 2,600 km border with the country.
Gandapur emphasized that despite the challenges posed by Afghanistan’s troubled history, the lack of action from Kabul authorities against terrorist hideouts has resulted in cross-border militant attacks on Pakistani security forces and civilians. Recently, four terrorists, including the son of the deputy governor of Afghanistan’s Badghis province, were killed in KP.
To tackle this, the KP government plans to send a jirga of tribal representatives to engage in talks with Afghanistan’s interim government. This effort aims to foster peace between the two nations, which have deep economic, political, and cultural ties. Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, KP CM’s Adviser on Information, stressed the importance of peace in both countries for strengthening bilateral relations and boosting trade.
Sources revealed that Afghan authorities have already reached out to KP officials for preliminary talks, paving the way for a grand jirga to discuss security concerns. Last month, CM Gandapur stated that a delegation of tribal elders would travel to Afghanistan for discussions, expressing frustration over the lack of progress from federal negotiations.
Amid growing concerns over terrorism, the Pakistani military recently voiced its alarm over Afghanistan’s failure to act against terrorist groups operating from its territory. The military demanded more decisive measures from Kabul to curb cross-border militant activity. The military’s concerns were raised at the 267th Corps Commanders’ Conference, highlighting the urgency of a collaborative approach to resolving the issue.
The rising death toll from terrorist activities has been devastating, with 2024 being one of the deadliest years for Pakistan’s civil and military forces in the past decade. The Centre for Security and Strategic Studies (CRSS) reported over 680 fatalities in terrorist attacks, with KP being the hardest-hit region, suffering the highest number of casualties. The toll underscores the critical need for cross-border cooperation to combat the escalating security threats.
