- Jirga will comprise representatives of different tribes, says CM.
- Barrister Saif says wanted peace, brotherly relations with Kabul.
- “Afghan govt has contacted KP govt [about talks],” say sources.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur announced on Thursday that a Jirga would be sent to Afghanistan, after taking the federal government into confidence, to address the increasing incidents of terrorism in the province.
Talking to Geo News, CM Gandapur said KP was affected by Afghanistan, a country that had been a victim of wars for decades. KP and Afghanistan share a border of more than 2,600 kilometres long.
With authorities in Kabul are reluctant to take decisive action against terrorists’ sanctuaries, militants from across the border have repeatedly targeted Pakistan’s security forces and innocent civilians.
Recently, the son of the deputy governor of Afghanistan’s Badghis province was among four terrorists killed in KP, Radio Pakistan reported.
CM Gandapur said today that they would form a Jirga, comprising representatives of different tribes, to hold talks with the interim government in Kabul.
Meanwhile, Adviser to KP Chief Minister on Information Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif said: “Peace in Afghanistan and Pakistan is interlinked.”
Barrister Saif said they wanted peace and brotherly relations between the two countries. Both countries enjoy economic, political, and cultural relations, he said, adding that they want to increase the business ties between the two sides.
Sources privy to the matter said the Afghan authorities had contacted the provincial government in this regard, adding that a grand Jirga would be held after initial talks between the two sides.
Last month, the KP CM announced that he would send a delegation of tribal elders to Afghanistan for talks, saying: “The federal government has not achieved any success in talks with Afghanistan.”
“We will find a solution to the problems,” he had added.
“I hope they [the Afghan side] will cooperate with our Jirga,” said the KP CM.
Earlier this week, the military’s top brass expressed grave concern over the continued use of Afghan soil against Pakistan by terrorists and demanded “concrete and tangible actions” by the interim Afghan government.
The concern was expressed during the 267th Corps Commanders’ Conference at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, chaired by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
“The forum stressed the imperative of concrete and tangible actions by interim Afghan government against Fitna Al Khawarij instead of denials as well as continuing with the strategy of undertaking all necessary measures in defence of Pakistan and its people,” the military’s media wing said.
The year 2024 turned out to be the deadliest for Pakistan’s civil and military security forces in a decade with at least 685 fatalities and 444 terror attacks, according to “CRSS Annual Security Report 2024” issued by Centre for Security and Strategic Studies.
Equally alarming were the cumulative losses of civilians and security personnel, i.e., 1,612 fatalities, accounting for over 63pc of the total recorded this year, marking 73pc more losses compared to 934 outlaws eliminated, The News reported citing CRSS report.
The overall fatalities recorded the previous year were a record 9-year high and over 66% more than in 2023. On average, nearly seven lives were lost daily, with November emerging as the deadliest month across all metrics, compared to all other months of the year.
The violence took the heaviest toll on KP which topped in human losses with 1,616 fatalities, followed by Balochistan with 782 fatalities. In 2024, the country suffered 2,546 violence-linked fatalities and 2,267 injuries among civilians, security personnel and outlaws.
This tally of casualties stemmed from 1,166 incidents of terror attacks and counter-terror operations, marking a grim year for country’s security landscape.
