PESHAWAR – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has ruled out any forced expulsion of Afghan refugees in the province, calling for structured negotiations with Kabul as the only viable solution to the growing wave of terrorism in Pakistan.
Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad following a meeting with former prime minister Imran Khan at Adiala Jail, Gandapur said his administration would not engage in coercive tactics to remove Afghan nationals. “We will not send anyone back to Afghanistan by force. Our police and administration will not remove refugees against their will. Camps will be set up for those willing to return voluntarily,” he said.
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Referring to the deteriorating security situation, the chief minister echoed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan’s stance that dialogue, not military operations, remains the only long-term fix for terrorism. “When we were in government, there was no terrorism. After our removal, the real focus shifted from national security to political victimization,” Gandapur stated.
He accused the federal government of politicizing terror incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and failing to build the capacity of security institutions. “We are saying: let’s form Terms of Reference (TORs) and begin talks with Afghanistan. There is no other option. The federal government has failed to deliver on its responsibilities,” Gandapur asserted.
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The chief minister revealed that the provincial government had allocated 30bn rupees [$107mn US dollars] to the Counter-Terrorism Department and other agencies to support its ongoing action plan. “Despite this, the federal institutions are taking actions without coordination. Our province has been left alone to deal with a national issue,” he lamented.
Calling the federal response to the National Finance Commission (NFC) award unjust, Gandapur said, “Withholding the NFC share from a population of 5.8mn people is sheer injustice. We were promised in April that the NFC meeting would be held. April means April. I will take to the streets with government employees and police officers if our constitutional rights are denied.”
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The chief minister warned that regional peace hinges on Afghan stability. “Unless there is peace in Afghanistan and in the border areas, Pakistan’s internal situation will not stabilize. We must rebuild trust. It was our flawed policies that pushed people towards militancy,” Gandapur concluded. The issue of Afghan refugees in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remains a central concern as tensions rise across Pakistan’s western borders.
