Pakistan's KP seeks ‘meaningful’ talks with Afghan Taliban as border tensions persist

Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government is pushing for negotiations with the Afghan Taliban to curb cross-border attacks, but the initiative faces hurdles as key stakeholders remain absent from discussions.

KP Chief Minister Sardar Ali Amin Gandapur has urged Islamabad to engage the Afghan Taliban, saying his province has suffered the most from militant violence since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan three years ago.

According to Gandapur, the federal government has approved the KP administration’s proposal for talks. The province plans to send a delegation, or jirga, to Kabul, comprising religious leaders, clerics and political figures. A second jirga will include tribal elders from both sides of the Durand Line.

The KP government has been consulting political and religious leaders to structure the talks. While Jamaat-e-Islami appears to have some influence in the process, the absence of Maulana Fazlur Rehman and his Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) raises concerns. Rehman has played a key role in past Pakistan-Afghanistan negotiations.

Fazl calls initiative 'politically immature'

Speaking in Gujranwala, Rehman criticized the KP government’s approach, calling the initiative “politically immature.”

“Delegations to foreign countries are sent by the federal government, not provincial administrations,” he said. “If they are going merely for entertainment or recreation, then there’s no issue—go ahead.”

When contacted by Nukta, JUI-F spokesperson Aslam Ghauri said the KP government had not reached out to them before a meeting at KP House in Islamabad.

“No one from the KP government has contacted us regarding this negotiation process—neither as a political entity nor as a religious party,” he said.

Jamaat-e-Islami leader Professor Ibrahim told Nukta that during the last meeting in Islamabad, attendees agreed to hold another session in Peshawar, but that has not happened.

“I also learned through the media that everything is ready, but the KP government has not contacted us since then,” he said.

“They should call an all-parties meeting in Peshawar before forming the jirga. The details of the procedure were not discussed in Islamabad, and we were told a more detailed meeting would take place in Peshawar, which has yet to be convened.”

Barrister Dr Muhammad Saif, an adviser to the KP government, said the proposed talks would involve the Afghan Taliban and tribal elders but exclude banned militant groups such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). He emphasized that the focus would be on traditional tribal diplomacy.

Despite these efforts, no formal communication has taken place between the KP government, Pakistan’s Foreign Office and the Afghan government. An Afghan diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Kabul has yet to formally engage in peace talks with Pakistan.

Military and federal involvement stressed

Political analyst Imtiaz Gul told Nukta that Pakistan’s military plays a decisive role in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations and must be involved in any such discussions.

He supported the idea of the KP government leading the initiative, given the province’s Pashtun majority. Direct engagement with Pashtun leadership, involving the federal government and Maulana Fazlur Rehman, could be more effective than a delegation from Islamabad, he said.

“The provincial government should engage local leadership to establish contact and hold consultations with Afghan counterparts,” Gul said.

He added that any agreements reached must have federal and military backing to ensure implementation.