K-P CM's solo Kabul diplomacy draws flak

PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD:

Amid backlash over comments about holding direct dialogue with the Taliban government in Afghanistan by the provincial government, an undeterred Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur on Thursday proposed the idea of holding a grand jirga (council) between Pakistan and Afghanistan to promote peace.

The K-P chief minister's proposal drew condemnation from the Foreign Office which reminded the chief minster that holding talks with a sovereign state is an exclusive domain of the federal government while Defence Minister Khawaja Asif termed it an attack on the federation.

In a meeting with Afghan Consul General Hafiz Mohibullah, the chief minister suggested that the federal government form such a jirga to engage in discussions with the neighboring country.

The two discussed matters of mutual interest, including the promotion of trade, regional peace and stability, resolving issues faced by Afghan citizens living in the province, and other related matters.

Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur remarked that the people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Afghanistan share many common values. People on both sides of the border are bound by linguistic, religious, cultural, and human ties.

He noted that both sides have suffered due to the war on terrorism, and now is the time to make serious efforts for sustainable peace in the region, which is in the interest of both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The CM also emphasized the vast opportunities for mutual trade between the two countries, from which both can greatly benefit.

He highlighted the need to remove barriers to trade activities along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and stressed the importance of setting up special desks at the border to facilitate Afghan traders.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Office reacted to the K-P Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur's proposal to send his own delegation to Afghanistan for resolving the security issues, saying the foreign policy is a federal domain.

"First of all, I would like to affirm what you had just said, that foreign policy is a federal subject; and secondly, it is a prerogative of the Government of Pakistan to pursue its foreign policy," said Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch at the weekly news briefing.

She was responding to a question about the announcement of the K-P chief minister that he would send his own delegation to Kabul for peace process. His controversial move already triggered a strong rejoinder from Defense Minister Khawaja Asif in the National Assembly.

Addressing an event of the Peshawar Bar Council Association a day earlier, CM Gandapur announced sending a provincial government delegation to neighbouring Afghanistan to hold dialogue and settle bilateral issues without waiting for the federal government's approval as his "province is bleeding" due to a surge in terrorist attacks.

During the National Assembly session, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif strongly condemned the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur's announcement to hold direct talks with Afghanistan, labeling it as an attack on the federation. Asif said that no province has the authority to conduct foreign negotiations independently, calling the move a "direct assault on the federation".

"This is a dangerous path that the K-P's leadership is walking, one that could have severe consequences for their own party," said Asif.

He emphasised that foreign policy is strictly within the federal government's domain, and any provincial involvement could lead to instability.

However, responding to Asif, PTI leader Asad Qaiser said that he along with his party supports the K-P CM, saying all stakeholders would be brought together for examining the situation as bombs keep on dropping on K-P residents. He said a grand jirga will be held to deliberate matters further.

The response from the Foreign Office was more cautious but the underlying message was clear that foreign policy is not the prerogative of the provincial government.

The spokesperson explained that any proposal on the foreign policy could only be pursued with the approval of the federal government.

"Any proposals which come from any public figure in Pakistan will be considered by the Government of Pakistan and decisions will be taken in Pakistan's national interest," the spokesperson said.

When asked further that the K-P government wanted to send a delegation in a private capacity. "Pakistani officials and Pakistani nationals can visit any foreign country as private individuals and the Government of Pakistan does not provide them directions when they undertake these private visits," she added.

"With regards to any official engagements, we believe these issues are premature for us to comment. When such a proposal comes before the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we would be able to comment on them," she said.

The spokesperson also officially confirmed the recent bloody clashes between Pakistani and Afghan forces. At least 16 Taliban members were killed in those skirmishes, which Pakistan said were provoked by the Afghan side.

"Yes, I can confirm that the incident of September 7 was an unprovoked attack on Pakistani check posts from across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border," the spokesperson told reporters.

"Pakistani forces responded. We believe that the attacks across the international border are not acceptable," she further said.

She added that Pakistan will continue to defend itself from any attacks.

Responding to another question, the spokesperson said Kashmiris are our brothers and sisters who have been under Indian subjugation for the last several decades.

"Pakistan has always stood for the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and their right to live in freedom and dignity."

She said India's attempts to portray its illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir as an internal matter, and its claims of considering Kashmiris as its own ring hollow, in the face of the harsh reality of the situation in IIOJK and the decades long suppression of the Kashmiri people.

She was responding to remarks by Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, who claimed that Pakistan considers people of Kashmir as foreigners while India considers them their own people.