Centre 'agrees to K-P's talks with Kabul'

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Wednesday claimed that the federal government expressed its willingness to initiate talks with Afghanistan through the provincial government.

Speaking to reporters after an event in connection with the framing of new rules and regulations in the provincial assembly, Chief Minister Gandapur said that the Centre had agreed in principle to K-P establishing contact with Kabul.

"In these talks, some representatives will be theirs and some ours. Even [Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran] Khan has said negotiations with Afghanistan should move forward," Gandapur told journalists.

He stressed, however, that provinces do not have the authority to conduct dialogue with foreign countries. "This authority rests with the federal government and the Foreign Office," he said. He claimed that the Centre had conveyed a message to him to initiate contact with Afghanistan.

The chief minister also complained that his passport has remained blocked since May 9 2023. "This is the situation of the country — a chief minister's passport has been blocked. I have applied, but they are not issuing me one," he remarked.

He further alleged that he has not been allowed to meet the PTI founder, but insisted that he would still follow instructions if ordered. "If my chairman [Imran] directs me, I will go to Afghanistan even without a passport," he said.

Warrants

The District and Sessions Court in Islamabad on Wednesday issued arrest warrant for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur in the long-pending liquor and arms recovery case, after he failed to appear in the court.

During a hearing, Judge Magistrate Mubashir Hassan Chishti dismissed Gandapur's application for exemption from personal appearance and directed that he be arrested and presented in the court on September 17, in the case registered against him at the Bara Kahu Police Station.

Gandapur's lawyer Raja Zahoorul Hassan requested the court to suspend the warrants. The court rejected the plea, stating, "You produce the accused and I will cancel the warrants." He said that a junior lawyer could have requested a new hearing date, which would have been scheduled.

In previous hearings, the court noted it had given K Gandapur ample opportunity and warned that a verdict could be issued in his absence if he failed to appear. "No further relief will be granted if the statement is not recorded by July 21," the magistrate stated in a written order.

The case dates back to October 2016, when Islamabad police allegedly recovered five Kalashnikov assault rifles, a pistol, six magazines, a bulletproof vest, alcohol, and three tear gas shells from a vehicle belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader near Bani Gala.

Gandapur has consistently denied the allegations, stating that he was traveling with two licensed Kalashnikov rifles and that a valid arms licence was present in the vehicle. He also claimed the bottle allegedly containing alcohol actually contained honey.